Changing Your Binance Server Time for Accurate Trading

By Michael Smith | February 2023

Trading on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance requires precise timing. Whether you are using a bot to execute trades automatically or manually placing orders, the exchange's server time is crucial for avoiding slippage and executing trades at the correct moment. However, one of the challenges faced by traders is that the server time displayed on Binance may not reflect your local timezone accurately. In this article, we will discuss how you can synchronize your local system time with Binance's server time to ensure accurate trading operations.

Understanding Time Synchronization

Time synchronization refers to the process of ensuring all devices and servers are using the same clock or time reference. It is essential for maintaining a consistent and accurate record of events, especially in financial systems like cryptocurrency exchanges. When dealing with high-frequency trades, even a few milliseconds can have significant implications on trade execution costs, profitability, and overall performance.

Using NTP (Network Time Protocol) to Synchronize Your System

One way to synchronize your system's time with Binance server time is by using the Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP is a standard protocol for distributing precise time information across a network, enabling devices like computers, servers, and other IoT devices to keep their clocks in sync. By connecting your local system to an NTP server that has its clock synchronized with Binance's server time, you can ensure accurate timing for trading activities.

Installing and Configuring NTP on Linux Systems

To implement NTP synchronization on a Linux-based system, follow these steps:

1. Install ntpd: The `ntpd` is the daemon that manages the Network Time Protocol on your system. You can install it by running the following command in your terminal:

```bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ntp

```

2. Choose an NTP server: There are many public NTP servers available, such as those provided by Google or pool.ntp.org. Choose one that is geographically close to you for the best accuracy:

```bash

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/ntpd.service

```

3. Add the NTP server configuration: Open `/etc/conf_ntpdc` or create it if it does not exist, and add your preferred NTP servers to the file:

```bash

echo 'server 0.pool.ntp.org' >> /etc/conf_ntpdc

echo 'server 1.pool.ntp.org' >> /etc/conf_ntpdc

echo 'server 2.pool.ntp.org' >> /etc/conf_ntpdc

```

4. Restart ntpd: Make sure the NTP daemon is enabled and started:

```bash

systemctl enable ntpd && systemctl start ntpd

```

5. Check synchronization: Verify that your time has been successfully synchronized by running `timedatectl`:

```bash

timedatectl show-timesync --all

```

Using Python to Automate Time Adjustments on Binance

Another option for synchronizing with Binance server time is through Python scripts. The python-binance library allows you to interact with the Binance API and retrieve the current server time in your local timezone. By adjusting your system's clock, you can ensure that all trades are executed at precisely the correct moment based on Binance's server time.

Here is a sample Python script to get the Binance server time and adjust your local time:

```python

from binance.client import Client

from datetime import datetime

# Initialize the client with your API key and secret

api_key = 'your_api_key'

api_secret = 'your_api_secret'

client = Client(api_key, api_secret)

# Get Binance server time in UTC

raw_server_time = client.get_server_time()

server_time = datetime.strptime(raw_server_time['serverTime'], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ')

# Adjust your local system's clock to match Binance server time

local_system_time = datetime.now()

if abs((server_time - local_system_time).total_seconds()) > 1: # Check if time difference is significant

time_offset = (server_time - local_system_time).total_seconds()

# Execute the time adjustment command here, e.g. ntpdate

```

In this script, we first connect to Binance using our API key and secret. We then retrieve the current server time from the Binance API and adjust it accordingly with our local system's clock. If a significant difference is detected between the two times (e.g., more than 1 second), you would execute an adjustment command that syncs your local system with the NTP server of choice.

Conclusion

Accurate synchronization of time on Binance is crucial for efficient and profitable trading activities. By using tools like NTP or Python scripts to adjust your local system's clock to match Binance's server time, you can minimize slippage costs, improve execution speed, and ultimately enhance the overall performance of your trading operations. Remember that maintaining a consistent and accurate synchronization is an ongoing process, as network conditions and latency issues may still cause minor discrepancies from time to time.