diff --git a/frontend/src/app/markets/[id]/page.tsx b/frontend/src/app/markets/[id]/page.tsx
index 8c2c816..8557ad4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/markets/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/markets/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import { pollMarketEvents } from "@/services/events";
 import { getXlmBalance } from "@/services/soroban";
 import {
   displayXLM,
-  formatTime,
   formatXLM,
+  formatTime,
+  formatEventTime,
   calculatePayout,
   truncateAddress,
 } from "@/utils/helpers";
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/helpers.ts b/frontend/src/utils/helpers.ts
index af3bc1b..3f28ea7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/helpers.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/helpers.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,37 @@ export function timeUntil(timestamp: number): string {
   return `${diff}s`;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Normalize a Unix timestamp that may be seconds or milliseconds to ms.
+ * Values below ~1e12 are almost certainly seconds; above are ms.
+ */
+export function toTimestampMs(timestamp: number): number {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(timestamp)) return Date.now();
+  return timestamp < 1e12 ? timestamp * 1000 : timestamp;
+}
+
+const DATE_TIME_OPTIONS: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions = {
+  year: "numeric",
+  month: "short",
+  day: "numeric",
+  hour: "2-digit",
+  minute: "2-digit",
+  timeZoneName: "short",
+};
+
+const TIME_OPTIONS: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions = {
+  hour: "2-digit",
+  minute: "2-digit",
+  timeZoneName: "short",
+};
+
+/**
+ * Format a Unix timestamp (seconds) to a locale-aware date/time string.
+ * Uses the viewer's browser locale and local timezone automatically.
+ *
+ * Example (en-GB): "12 Jul 2026, 14:30 GMT+1"
+ * Example (en-US): "Jul 12, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT"
+ */
 /** Normalize a positive Unix timestamp supplied in seconds or milliseconds. */
 export function toTimestampMs(timestamp: number): number {
   if (!Number.isFinite(timestamp) || timestamp <= 0) return Number.NaN;
@@ -72,6 +103,79 @@ export function formatDate(
   locale?: Intl.LocalesArgument,
   options: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions = {}
 ): string {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(timestamp) || timestamp <= 0) return "—";
+  // Guard against accidental millisecond values (> year 2100 in seconds ≈ 4_102_444_800)
+  const ms = timestamp > 4_102_444_800 ? timestamp : timestamp * 1000;
+  return new Intl.DateTimeFormat(locale, {
+    ...DATE_TIME_OPTIONS,
+    ...options,
+  }).format(new Date(ms));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Format a Unix timestamp to a locale-aware time-only string.
+ */
+export function formatTime(
+  timestamp: number,
+  locale?: Intl.LocalesArgument,
+  options?: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions
+): string {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(timestamp) || timestamp <= 0) return "—";
+  const ms = timestamp > 4_102_444_800 ? timestamp : timestamp * 1000;
+  return new Intl.DateTimeFormat(locale, {
+    ...TIME_OPTIONS,
+    ...options,
+  }).format(new Date(ms));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Format an event timestamp (milliseconds) to a locale-aware date+time string.
+ * Use this for MarketEvent.timestamp — it is already in milliseconds.
+ */
+export function formatEventTime(timestampMs: number): string {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(timestampMs) || timestampMs <= 0) return "—";
+  return new Date(timestampMs).toLocaleString(undefined, DATE_TIME_OPTIONS);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return a human-readable relative time string from a Unix timestamp (seconds).
+ * Uses the viewer's locale via Intl.RelativeTimeFormat.
+ *
+ * Examples: "2 hours ago", "3 days ago", "just now"
+ */
+export function timeAgo(timestamp: number): string {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(timestamp) || timestamp <= 0) return "—";
+  const ms = timestamp > 4_102_444_800 ? timestamp : timestamp * 1000;
+  const diffSeconds = Math.floor((Date.now() - ms) / 1000);
+
+  if (diffSeconds < 5) return "just now";
+
+  const rtf = new Intl.RelativeTimeFormat(undefined, { numeric: "auto" });
+
+  const thresholds: [number, Intl.RelativeTimeFormatUnit][] = [
+    [60, "second"],
+    [3_600, "minute"],
+    [86_400, "hour"],
+    [604_800, "day"],
+    [2_592_000, "week"],
+    [31_536_000, "month"],
+  ];
+
+  for (const [limit, unit] of thresholds) {
+    if (diffSeconds < limit) {
+      const idx = thresholds.findIndex(([l]) => l === limit);
+      const prev = idx > 0 ? thresholds[idx - 1] : [1, "second"] as const;
+      const divisor = prev[0];
+      return rtf.format(-Math.floor(diffSeconds / divisor), unit);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return rtf.format(-Math.floor(diffSeconds / 31_536_000), "year");
+}
+
+/**
+ * Calculate a winner's payout from a prediction market.
+ * payout = (userNetBet / winningSideTotal) × totalPool
   const timestampMs = toTimestampMs(timestamp);
   if (!Number.isFinite(timestampMs)) return INVALID_TIMESTAMP;
 
@@ -164,6 +268,9 @@ export function calculatePayout(
   return (userNetBet / winningSideTotal) * totalPool;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Calculate YES/NO odds percentages from net totals.
+ * Returns { yesPercent, noPercent } — each 0-100.
 /** Calculate YES/NO odds percentages from net totals.
  * Returns { yesPercent, noPercent } – each 0-100.
  */
@@ -177,6 +284,9 @@ export function calculateOdds(
   return { yesPercent, noPercent: 100 - yesPercent };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build a Stellar Expert explorer URL for transactions, accounts, or contracts.
+ */
 /** Convert basis points to a percentage string. */
 export function bpsToPercent(bps: number): string {
   return `${bps / 100}%`;
@@ -188,6 +298,11 @@ export function explorerUrl(
   id: string,
   network: "public" | "testnet" = "public"
 ): string {
+  const base =
+    network === "testnet"
+      ? "https://stellar.expert/explorer/testnet"
+      : "https://stellar.expert/explorer/public";
+  return `${base}/${type}/${id}`;
   const base = `https://stellar.expert/explorer/${network}`;
   switch (type) {
     case "tx":