diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/stat.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/stat.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3a07fdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/stat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# standard imports
+import logging
+
+# external imports
+from chainlib.stat import ChainStat
+from chainlib.eth.block import (
+        block_latest,
+        block_by_number,
+        Block,
+        )
+
+logg = logging.getLogger().getChild(__name__)
+
+BLOCK_SAMPLES = 10
+
+
+def init_chain_stat(rpc, block_start=0):
+    stat = ChainStat()
+
+    if block_start == 0:
+        o = block_latest()
+        r = rpc.do(o)
+        block_start = int(r, 16)
+
+    for i in range(BLOCK_SAMPLES):
+        o = block_by_number(block_start-10+i)
+        block_src = rpc.do(o)
+        logg.debug('block {}'.format(block_src))
+        block = Block(block_src)
+        stat.block_apply(block)
+
+    logg.debug('calculated block time {} from {} block samples'.format(stat.block_average(), BLOCK_SAMPLES))
+    return stat