<p>Bitcoin Core is the only software that saves the blocks in the blk*.dat format. This format is not standardized and internal (i.e. not exposed to users). The contents of, for example, blk2342.dat can differ between multiple instances of Bitcoin Core.</p>
<p>The only option is to run Bitcoin Core yourself, or to find somebody who runs Bitcoin Core and can provide you with these files.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T16:43:01.737Z
2020-10-01T14:07:30.350Z
2020-10-01T14:07:30.350Z
0xb10c
<p>For study purposes, I would like to download blocks from a <strong>specific period</strong>, i.e. January 2017 - June 2017, <strong>in blk.dat format</strong> (blk00000.dat, blk*.dat).</p>
<p>I downloaded blockchain.core but it makes me download the whole blockchain - correct me if I'm wrong.</p>
<p>Also I tried with blockchain.info but the problem is that I can only get one block at a time and just in Json or Hex format - don't need those.</p>
<p>So, do you know how could I do and with which program or API to use?</p>
<p>I'm a beginner, so please the more details you can give the better it is, even if they seems obvious.</p>
<p>For this work I'm coding in python.</p>

<synchronization><python><block>
Download blocks in blk00000.dat format from a specific period
Eugenio Cortesi
# Download blocks in blk00000.dat format from a specific period

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-25)

For study purposes, I would like to download blocks from a **specific period**, i.e. January 2017 - June 2017, **in blk.dat format** (blk00000.dat, blk\*.dat).

I downloaded blockchain.core but it makes me download the whole blockchain - correct me if I'm wrong.

Also I tried with blockchain.info but the problem is that I can only get one block at a time and just in Json or Hex format - don't need those.

So, do you know how could I do and with which program or API to use?

I'm a beginner, so please the more details you can give the better it is, even if they seems obvious.

For this work I'm coding in python.

**Tags:** synchronization, python, block


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-25. Score: 4

Bitcoin Core is the only software that saves the blocks in the blk\*.dat format. This format is not standardized and internal (i.e. not exposed to users). The contents of, for example, blk2342.dat can differ between multiple instances of Bitcoin Core.

The only option is to run Bitcoin Core yourself, or to find somebody who runs Bitcoin Core and can provide you with these files.


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