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Blocks Iterator

Blocks Iterator is an open-source Rust library with a command-line tool for iterating over and decoding Bitcoin blocks stored in Bitcoin Core’s local blocks directory. It yields blocks in height order, can include previous-output data for fee calculations and script checks, and supports use from Rust programs or Unix pipes.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Blocks Iterator — OpenViST project profile in Developer Tools.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use it when a Rust program or command-line pipeline needs to process block data already stored by Bitcoin Core, especially when ordered iteration or previous-output context matters.

Who it is for

  • Rust developers building tools that ingest locally stored Bitcoin block data.
  • Analysts who need transaction fee or previous-output context from decoded blocks.
  • Developers writing block-processing consumers, including transaction-checking examples.

Documented uses

  • Read Bitcoin Core block files and process decoded blocks in height order.
  • Calculate transaction fees using previous-output data.
  • Feed block data to a consumer through Unix pipes.
  • Build analysis consumers for transaction weight, outputs, witness data, or transaction verification.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The repository is public and identifies the project as MIT-licensed. No account requirement or price is documented in the cited project materials.

  • Bitcoin Core’s block directory must be usable by the tool; block-file XOR is unsupported while enabled.
  • Previous-output data supports fee calculations and script checks, but the README’s benchmark table shows substantially different memory and timing figures depending on whether previous outputs are skipped and on the sele
  • The maximum reorganization setting affects how the iterator handles reorganizations.
  • The library supports Rust integration as well as serialized pipe workflows; the README notes serialization and deserialization when using pipes.
  • The project says its 1.0 designation is not a claim of battle-tested production readiness.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Iterate over Bitcoin blocks in a Rust program

Read blocks from a Bitcoin Core blocks directory in height order and sum transaction fees.

Before you start

  • A local Bitcoin Core blocks directory containing the blocks to process.
  • A Rust project with the blocks_iterator and bitcoin libraries available.

Steps

  1. Create a blocks_iterator::Config with the blocks-directory path and the matching bitcoin::Network, as in the README’s Testnet example.

  2. Pass the configuration to blocks_iterator::iter and iterate over the returned blocks.

  3. For each block, call fee() and add the available fee to a running total; the example expects prevouts to be retained for fee calculation.

Expected outcome

The program iterates blocks and accumulates fees; the documented example asserts a total of 450,000 satoshis for its first 400 Testnet blocks.

Guide limitations

  • The example’s total applies only to its stated Testnet data and block range.
  • Bitcoin Core 28.0 block-file xoring is not supported. The README says xoring can be disabled with -blocksxor=0.
  • Version 1.0 is explicitly not described as battle-tested production-ready.
  • Keeping previous outputs can require substantial memory; README benchmarks vary by network and configuration and are described as older-version results.
Documentation 1 ↗
Source-based practical guide

Build and connect the Unix-pipe example

Build the release CLI and examples, then pipe ordered Testnet blocks to the with_pipe consumer.

Before you start

  • Rust and Cargo, as the README build commands use Cargo.
  • A local Testnet Bitcoin Core blocks directory at the path used in the documented example.
  • Unix pipes.

Steps

  1. Build the release binaries with the command below.

    Documented command
    cargo build --release

  2. Build the release examples with the command below.

    Documented command
    cargo build --release --examples

  3. Run blocks_iterator_cli with the documented blocks directory, Testnet network, maximum reorganization of 40, and stop height of 200000, piping its output to target/release/examples/with_pipe.

Expected outcome

The documented pipeline sends serialized ordered block data with previous outputs to the with_pipe consumer, which reports block and transaction statistics.

Guide limitations

  • When using pipes, block data is serialized and deserialized.
  • The documented command uses a Testnet directory and fixed example settings; other paths or settings are not specified here.
  • Bitcoin Core 28.0 xored block files are unsupported unless xoring is disabled with -blocksxor=0.
  • Version 1.0 is not characterized as battle-tested production-ready.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
14 October 2026
Original website title
RCasatta/blocks_iterator · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
How we review sourcesSuggest a correction

Related options

bitcoin-iterate — The README identifies it as an inspiration and contrasts its C implementation and shell-piping focus with Blocks Iterator’s Rust-library option and previous-output data.

rust-bitcoin-indexer — The README contrasts this project’s block-file iteration with an indexer that requires a PostgreSQL database and a longer indexing setup before relational queries.

electrs — The README describes electrs as specifically intended for the Electrum protocol.

brk_parser — The README describes it as a Rust-only parser that uses channels and parallelization, and refers to its own benchmark comparison.