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LegendaryActivity: 1596Merit: 1008 [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 20, 2013, 03:55:14 PM

Last edit: May 08, 2015, 01:22:04 AM by jgarzik #1



IMPORTANT NOTE: As of Bitcoin Core version 0.10.0 or later, this torrent is slower than a direct download using the bitcoin P2P protocol & client. This torrent is now only maintained for research and development purposes as a secondary option. Please use Bitcoin Core directly to download the blockchain.



Bitcoin-Qt/bitcoind version 0.7.1 and later supports a special import feature: If the file "bootstrap.dat" is found in the bitcoin data directory, it will validate and import all blockchain data found in that file. The following torrent presents a bootstrap.dat file for that feature.



Here is the PGP-signed torrent information. The public key for below the signature.



Updated: August 23, 2014



http://gtf.org/garzik/bitcoin/bootstrap.txt

Code: -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Hash: SHA512





Torrent info hash: 36719ba2cecf9f3bd7c5abfb7a88e939611b536c

Torrent magnet link:

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:36719ba2cecf9f3bd7c5abfb7a88e939611b536c&dn=bootstrap.dat&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.openbittorrent.com%3A80&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.publicbt.com%3A80&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Fcoppersurfer.tk%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Fopen.demonii.com%3A1337&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbttracker.crunchbanglinux.org%3A6969%2Fannounce



Block height: 317000

Filename: bootstrap.dat

Byte size: 22566124235

SHA1: 2e6e5dd20cd9c21960ba94f7265f42c4b6443758

SHA256: d05062052be4dd6fbaeac5f17598e52f7ad545f9f938acefaf7067ecce1d7b5a



-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

Version: GnuPG/MacGPG2 v2.0.22 (Darwin)

Comment: GPGTools - http://gpgtools.org



iQEcBAEBCgAGBQJT+PcrAAoJEL8a4JGi25zKmj4H/i8xKIXW/xnw5i5Pc+ciUuc2

Zo+KxQd1YGRmJSvGsyTgTqK4IJUBD8s8tIGTtznCJ2/Q3wIdZmoqxkST7r4rqJly

cOyJ/n19K5beYvVekIgHVXFmhdJhZf8KNnyuV+DpHmmLKYyZtvkoY9b3hEBHVtSM

AkjuWyA9IEPeghxBX32JAToXOZGs9vZghNyIMg/fWbGLuv1oX7QCjAAua0NAMbLX

diSvVcLXskTRy38W4whz1DX6ruL8mPRYH5Ko6/cmtVqEkr53aEwYf1XJGHHAz3+J

nEHecxBUbiRhDwMdCVtqzKudXWVDtkgVQmRxrkKTw63NTVMge4eEziE2+7JQgq8=

=p9TY

-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----





What is bootstrap.dat?



It is a flat, binary file containing bitcoin blockchain data, from the genesis block through height 317,000.



Versions 0.7.1+ automatically validates and imports a file in the data directory named "bootstrap.dat".



Special note: Version prior to 0.8.0 have a bug which will only import 2G of data from a file. This is fixed in 0.8.0.





Who wants bootstrap.dat?



Anyone bringing up a new node using the reference client. This is one method of accelerating the initial blockchain download process, while helping the bitcoin P2P network by offloading data download traffic from public P2P nodes.



This download is not for those who are already running the bitcoin client.





How often will this torrent be updated?



Assuming this project is deemed useful and worth continuing... the torrent will be updated once every few months, when the checkpoints are updated in the





Why not update the torrent more often?



A torrent works best when it is a large, static dataset that changes infrequently. That maximizes the ability to seed the data, enabling even part-timer seeders to contribute meaningfully. Less frequent changes also minimizes the risk that a malicious torrent will appear, with a long, malicious side chain. The current policy only updates the torrent after blocks are buried many thousands deep in the chain.





Why should I trust you?



You don't have to: This data is raw block chain data. The client will verify this data during import.



Independent third parties may generate their own bootstrap.dat, up to height 317,000, and verify that the sha256sum matches that posted above. The file format is simple and publicly known:



<4-byte pchMessageStart><32-bit length><CBlock, serialized in network wire format>





Torrent file download?



If the magnet link does not work, download the torrent file from https://bitcoin.org/bin/block-chain/ http://gtf.org/garzik/bitcoin/bootstrap.dat.torrent



How can I help? Do you need more seeds?



Yes, we need as many long term seeds as possible. This ensures we can meet torrent download demand immediately at high speeds, and remain idle the remainder of the time.





Generate the file myself?



You may generate the file yourself, rather than downloading it, if you have Bitcore Core and python. The tool used to generate bootstrap.dat is





Comments welcome



Post any comments or experiences in this thread. I'll update the OP as needed. This is a torrent of the publicly available bitcoin blockchain data.: As of Bitcoin Core version 0.10.0 or later, this torrent isthan a direct download using the bitcoin P2P protocol & client. This torrent is now only maintained for research and development purposes as a secondary option. Please use Bitcoin Core directly to download the blockchain.Bitcoin-Qt/bitcoind version 0.7.1 and later supports a special import feature: If the file "bootstrap.dat" is found in the bitcoin data directory, it will validate and import all blockchain data found in that file. The following torrent presents a bootstrap.dat file for that feature.Here is the PGP-signed torrent information. The public key for jgarzik@bitpay.com may be found at public keyservers or http://bitcoin.org/jgarzik-bitpay.asc Details followUpdated: August 23, 2014It is a flat, binary file containing bitcoin blockchain data, from the genesis block through height 317,000.Versions 0.7.1+ automatically validates and imports a file in the data directory named "bootstrap.dat".: Version prior to 0.8.0 have a bug which will only import 2G of data from a file. This is fixed in 0.8.0.Anyone bringing up a new node using the reference client. This is one method of accelerating the initial blockchain download process, while helping the bitcoin P2P network by offloading data download traffic from public P2P nodes.This downloadfor those who are already running the bitcoin client.Assuming this project is deemed useful and worth continuing... the torrent will be updated once every few months, when the checkpoints are updated in the reference client source code A torrent works best when it is a large, static dataset that changes infrequently. That maximizes the ability to seed the data, enabling even part-timer seeders to contribute meaningfully. Less frequent changes also minimizes the risk that a malicious torrent will appear, with a long, malicious side chain. The current policy only updates the torrent after blocks are buried many thousands deep in the chain.You don't have to: This data is raw block chain data. The client willthis data during import.Independent third parties may generate their own bootstrap.dat, up to height 317,000, and verify that the sha256sum matches that posted above. The file format is simple and publicly known:<4-byte pchMessageStart><32-bit length> If the magnet link does not work, download the torrent file fromYes, we need as many long term seeds as possible. This ensures we can meet torrent download demand immediately at high speeds, and remain idle the remainder of the time.You may generate the file yourself, rather than downloading it, if you have Bitcore Core and python. The tool used to generate bootstrap.dat is https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/master/contrib/linearize Post any comments or experiences in this thread. I'll update the OP as needed. Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own.

Visit bloq.com / metronome.io

Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj

BitcoinBug



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Full MemberActivity: 196Merit: 100 Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 20, 2013, 06:23:18 PM #4 I was seeding the previous version (2.3 GB, share ratio 15) and when I added this one, it picked up and verified the existing version and continued downloading from 51%. Very cool!

Sukrim



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LegendaryActivity: 2562Merit: 1002 Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 20, 2013, 07:37:08 PM #6

(<-- this also needs a bit of updating for the different files/folders with 0.8)



Some more hash values of this bootstrap.dat file (up to 216116):

Adler32: FA0EEF4C

CRC32: DDF59E6B

MD5: 1B437D44213B7D98C974546B55834D10

SHA-1: 985380032B618281EC5B9B49AFDCC99A4BCD69EB

SHA-256: BF658C7055B733BFC15EA167F298C5599B89D220B14DBE7C8EF20B18E468C451



Unfortunately it's not possible (yet?) in Bittorrent to share HTTP seeds in a swarm (DDoS potential!), but still - if you have a web server to seed this file but cannot run Bittorrent, you might still post a link here, so you can be added to the Magnet URI/torrent file.

HTTP seeds are in most clients actually quite rarely used, so unless people start to direct download from these you might not even have heavy traffic going on.



Also if you cannot use Bittorrent, there are services around that download torrents for BTC for you and offer a HTTPS download link. I won't link these here as I don't want to make it look like I endorse any of these. How to find the data directory (where this file belongs to): https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory ( https://www.coinlend.org <-- automated lending at various exchanges.

https://www.bitfinex.com <-- Trade BTC for other currencies and vice versa.

Mail me at Bitmessage: BM-BbiHiVv5qh858ULsyRDtpRrG9WjXN3xf

jgarzik



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LegendaryActivity: 1596Merit: 1008 Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 20, 2013, 07:53:52 PM

Last edit: February 20, 2013, 08:29:47 PM by jgarzik #7 Quote from: coblee on February 20, 2013, 05:57:56 PM If I already have some block data and want to replace them with this, do I need to delete my blk*.dat files? How about the blocks or chainstate directory?



This is not a replacement for block data you already have. This is a separate file, that is only used once, during data import.



After data import, the file is renamed to bootstrap.dat.old, and never touched again. Most will want to manually delete it, after use.



This is not a replacement for block data you already have. This is a separate file, that is only used once, during data import.After data import, the file is renamed to bootstrap.dat.old, and never touched again. Most will want to manually delete it, after use. Jeff Garzik, Bloq CEO, former bitcoin core dev team; opinions are my own.

Visit bloq.com / metronome.io

Donations / tip jar: 1BrufViLKnSWtuWGkryPsKsxonV2NQ7Tcj

deepceleron



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LegendaryActivity: 1512Merit: 1001 Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 20, 2013, 10:09:02 PM #8 Quote from: jgarzik on February 20, 2013, 07:53:52 PM Quote from: coblee on February 20, 2013, 05:57:56 PM If I already have some block data and want to replace them with this, do I need to delete my blk*.dat files? How about the blocks or chainstate directory?



This is not a replacement for block data you already have. This is a separate file, that is only used once, during data import.



After data import, the file is renamed to bootstrap.dat.old, and never touched again. Most will want to manually delete it, after use.

This is not a replacement for block data you already have. This is a separate file, that is only used once, during data import.After data import, the file is renamed to bootstrap.dat.old, and never touched again. Most will want to manually delete it, after use.



You can use the bootstrap.dat torrent with no ill effects regardless of your current block. When you restart and Bitcoin sees the bootstrap.dat that you have dropped in it's data directory, any block hashes you already have will be skipped quickly, and the import will pick up at the blocks you don't have. More specifically answering the question, if your Bitcoin client is already close to block 216116 (January 11) or even halfway completed (block 190000), the bootstrap.dat likely won't be of much use to you. It may take more time to download and then import the torrent than to complete the blockchain synchronization normally. This torrent is also only for those using the v0.8.0 release or after, as 0.7.1-0.7.2 are not able to import more than 2.0GiB of the 4.7GiB file.You can use the bootstrap.dat torrent with no ill effects regardless of your current block. When you restart and Bitcoin sees the bootstrap.dat that you have dropped in it's data directory, any block hashes you already have will be skipped quickly, and the import will pick up at the blocks you don't have.

coblee

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Creator of Litecoin. Cryptocurrency enthusiast.







DonatorLegendaryActivity: 1582Merit: 1185Creator of Litecoin. Cryptocurrency enthusiast. Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent February 21, 2013, 08:21:14 AM #12 I've tried a few times and couldn't get this to work. First time, I just put the bootstrap.dat file there and tried to run it against my current blocks. It didn't like that and got stuck.



The next time, I deleted all my block data and tried it again. This time it got stuck at block 211551 (iirc) and wouldn't load any block after that. Looking at the debug.log, I see that my peers are trying to give me blocks higher than that but my client keeps rejecting them for some reason.



The third time, I tried the same thing again. This time, when it got to block 155088, it gave me a database corrupt message and the client quit. Restarting the client does the same thing:

init message: Importing blocks from block database...

LevelDB read failure: Corruption: block checksum mismatch



I'm running this on a Mac if that makes a difference. Seems like 0.8 is buggy. Litecoin: http://litecoin.org

streblo



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Full MemberActivity: 165Merit: 100 Re: [ANN] Bitcoin blockchain data torrent March 27, 2013, 09:13:35 PM #18 I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find it: Why isn't a (moderately up-to-date) bootstrap.dat (optionally) included with the offical bitcoind/bitcoin-qt binaries? The trust model isn't invalidated because (a) you're downloading binaries and (b) the bootstrap's data are verified. Sourceforge already hosts the blockchain. It seems it would remove a lot of redundant data transfer from the bitcoin network, no?