Bitcoin Forum

#!/usr/bin/python
import subprocess, time, datetime, urllib2, sys

get_blockcount_command = "bitcoind getblockcount"
COIN = 100000000

def floatstrip(x):
    if x == int(x):
        return str(int(x))
    else:
        return str(x)

def get_block_count():
   #first try with bitcoind
   try:
       return int(subprocess.Popen(get_blockcount_command.split(), stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0].rstrip('\n'))
   except ValueError:
      #if that didn't work, then with bitcoinexplorer.com
      try:
         req = urllib2.Request("http://blockexplorer.com/q/getblockcount")
         url = urllib2.urlopen(req)
         return int(url.read())
      except urllib2.HTTPError, e:
         print "Error getting block count from blockexplorer.com: " + str(e.code)
         print "couldn't get current block count :("
         sys.exit()

block_count = get_block_count()

print "Block count is:", block_count, "(only %d blocks to go!)" % (210000-(block_count % 210000))

subsidy = 50 * COIN
print "First %s BTC block will probably be mined at:" % (floatstrip((subsidy >> ((block_count / 210000)+1))/COIN)), datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(time.time()+((210000-(block_count % 210000))*60*10)).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')

Block count is: 171665 (only 38335 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 11:17:57
Block count is: 171800 (only 38200 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 08:19:55
Block count is: 171988 (only 38012 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 07:22:11
Block count is: 172168 (only 37832 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 05:02:38
Block count is: 172253 (only 37747 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 03:50:53
Block count is: 172477 (only 37523 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 04:10:39
Block count is: 172653 (only 37347 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-09 00:10:36
Block count is: 172821 (only 37179 blocks to go!)
First 25 BTC block will probably be mined at: 2012-12-08 20:01:07