UTC in crypto: why you were always late to launches

This is the classic: you see that a token is launching “at 8:00 AM UTC” and you arrive at the time you think is the time… only to find out that the price has already exploded or worse, that it hasn't started yet and you had to wait 6 more hours.

The problem

UTC ( Coordinated Universal Time ) is the “master clock” of the crypto world. It does not change with daylight saving time or local zones. Every significant event in blockchain occurs in UTC, period.

The thing is that your country has its own difference. Some examples:

• Colombia, Peru, Ecuador = UTC -5
• Mexico = UTC -6
• Venezuela = UTC -4
• Argentina, Chile = UTC -3
• Spain = UTC +2 (summer)

The example that will save you money

If a token is released at 8:00 AM UTC:

• In Colombia: 3:00 AM (yes, early morning)
• In Venezuela: 4:00 AM
• In Argentina: 5:00 AM
• In Spain: 10:00 AM

Do you see the difference? It's not the same to arrive at 10 AM as it is to arrive at 3 AM.

How not to mess it up

1. Google is your friend: Search for “8:00 AM UTC in [your country]” and you're good to go.
2. Timezone apps: Use any world clock app or @TimeZoneBot on Telegram
3. The manual account: If you are in UTC-5, just subtract 5 hours.

Why it matters

A timing error can mean the difference between buying in presale at a good price or completely missing the opportunity. Believe me, it's no joke to see how a token you wanted to buy at $0.01 explodes at $1 because you didn't convert the time correctly.