Instructions
How to set up your Bitcoin Core node using a chainstate.io snapshot.
1. Buy and download the snapshot
Purchase a snapshot on chainstate.io. After payment, you will receive a download link valid for 24 hours, which will also be sent to your email. Download the .tar archive to your computer.
2. Extract the archive
Double-click the .tar file in Finder to extract it, or run the following in Terminal:
tar -xf snapshot-*.tar
Inside the extracted folder you will find two folders: blocks and chainstate. Keep this window open — you will need these folders in Step 4.
3. Install Bitcoin Core, run it once, then quit
Download and install Bitcoin Core from bitcoincore.org if you haven't already. Launch it and wait for it to start — it will create its data directory at:
/Users/<YourUsername>/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/
Once it has started, quit Bitcoin Core before continuing. You can open the data folder in Finder by pressing ⌘ Shift G and pasting the path above.
4. Replace the blocks and chainstate folders
Make sure Bitcoin Core is fully closed. Open the Bitcoin data directory in Finder:
/Users/<YourUsername>/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/
Delete the existing blocks and chainstate folders, then copy the two folders from your extracted snapshot into this directory.
5. Start Bitcoin Core
Launch Bitcoin Core. It will detect the existing chain data from the snapshot and start syncing only the remaining blocks — no full initial block download needed. Your node will be fully caught up within a few minutes at most.
Having trouble? Contact us at support@chainstate.io and we'll help you get set up.