Use mining hardware to speed up blockchain download

[cryptomonkey]

I installed bitcoind on a gentoo-linux machine with a VIA Nehemiah 1.3GHz processor and 1Gb ram.

Downloading the blockchain is taking well over a month now and I'm up to block 250901. Because the blockdownload process is not very linear I may have several days or even weeks to go. I'm pretty sure the processor is the bottle neck here. The same machine however is also running cgminer with a 330Mhash/sec USB block erupter which is rapidly loosing it's profitability.  As I understand it my CPU is busy verifying the downloaded blocks which is all SHA256. SHA256 is something which the USB block eruptor is literally over a 1000 times better at than my CPU.

So the question is: Can I somehow use the USB block erupter to speed up the blockchain download?

If so, this may offer an interesting alternative use for the USB block erupters when they completely loose their relevance for mining. Machines like the raspberry pi could then perhaps run the full bitcoin client.

[jago25_98]

Download the blockchain via torrent or http on the mirrors (search)

The other way round the Raspberry Pi will mine with USB, just make sure you get the right powered USB hub which is essential.