How Does High-Precision Time-Stamping Help Prove or Disprove a Front-Running Allegation?

High-precision time-stamping (often down to nanoseconds) provides an objective, verifiable record of when an order was received and when it was executed by the matching engine. To prove front-running, investigators look for an internal trade with a time-stamp that precedes a client's large order by a suspicious, minimal margin, followed by a profitable exit.

The precision eliminates arguments about network lag or system delays, establishing the exact order of events.