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Direct answer · Data release 1.0.0-draft.2 · chain through block 960,000 · built 2026-08-08

How long was the gap between Bitcoin’s genesis block and block 1?

Answered from checked-in data · published 2026-09-23 · substantively modified 2026-10-02 · Markdown · All answers as JSON

5 days, 8 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds: block 0 is timestamped 1231006505 and block 1 is timestamped 1231469665, an interval of 463,160 seconds, so the “six days” figure that is widely repeated overstates what the two block headers record.

The calculation compares two recorded fields

Subtract the block-0 timestamp from the block-1 timestamp, then divide the difference into days, hours, minutes and seconds. The evidence links identify the two block records used in the subtraction.

That gives the interval between recorded header timestamps. It does not reveal when every hash attempt began, how long a miner worked continuously, or why the blocks were produced at those times.

Inspect the supporting records below.

How to check this answer

  1. Read the timestamp field in each cited block record.
  2. Subtract block 0’s value from block 1’s value in seconds.
  3. Describe the result as a header-timestamp interval.

Evidence

  1. Block 0 header timestamp 1231006505; block 1 header timestamp 1231469665. Source
  2. Block 1 header, as served by a public block explorer API. Source
  3. The researched genesis dossier sets out the timestamps, the arithmetic and the source of the overstated figure. Source

What this answer does not claim

The answer is about the values recorded in two block headers. It should not be presented as a stopwatch measurement of mining effort or proof of Satoshi’s intentions.

These explanations were revised with AI assistance. Figures are computed from the stated data release; substantive content and SEO changes go through a separate source review. No named human or external expert review is implied.

Cite this answer

An answer with its evidence

Degrees of Satoshi. “How long was the gap between Bitcoin’s genesis block and block 1?” Answered from data release 1.0.0-draft.2, published 2026-09-23; modified 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/answers/how-long-between-the-genesis-block-and-block-1/