diff --git a/verification/src/chain_verifier.rs b/verification/src/chain_verifier.rs
index e420acd3..2b6f9264 100644
--- a/verification/src/chain_verifier.rs
+++ b/verification/src/chain_verifier.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use db::{self, BlockRef};
 use chain;
 use super::{Verify, VerificationResult, Chain, Error};
 use primitives::hash::H256;
-use byteorder::{LittleEndian, BigEndian, ByteOrder};
+use utils;
 
 const BLOCK_MAX_FUTURE: i64 = 2 * 60 * 60; // 2 hours
 
@@ -20,47 +20,6 @@ impl ChainVerifier {
 	}
 }
 
-fn check_nbits(hash: &H256, n_bits: u32) -> bool {
-	let hash_bytes: &[u8] = &**hash;
-
-	let mut nb = [0u8; 4];
-	BigEndian::write_u32(&mut nb, n_bits);
-	let shift = (nb[0] - 3) as usize; // total shift for mantissa
-
-	if shift >= 30 { return false; } // invalid shift
-
-	let should_be_zero = shift + 3..32;
-	let should_be_le = shift..shift + 3;
-
-	for z_check in should_be_zero {
-		if hash_bytes[z_check as usize] != 0 { return false; }
-	}
-
-	// making u32 from 3 bytes
-	let mut order = 0;
-	let hash_val: u32 = hash_bytes[should_be_le].iter().fold(0u32, |s, a| { let r = s + ((*a as u32) << order); order = order + 8; r });
-
-	// using 3 bytes leftover of nbits
-	nb[0] = 0;
-	let threshold = BigEndian::read_u32(&nb);
-	if hash_val < threshold {
-		return true;
-	}
-	else if hash_val > threshold {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	// the case when hash effective bits are equal to nbits
-	// then the rest of the hash must be zero
-	for byte in hash_bytes[0..shift].iter() { if *byte != 0 { return false; } }
-
-	return true;
-}
-
-fn age(protocol_time: u32) -> i64 {
-	::time::get_time().sec - protocol_time as i64
-}
-
 impl Verify for ChainVerifier {
 	fn verify(&self, block: &chain::Block) -> VerificationResult {
 		let hash = block.hash();
@@ -71,12 +30,12 @@ impl Verify for ChainVerifier {
 		}
 
 		// target difficulty threshold
-		if !check_nbits(&hash, block.header().nbits) {
+		if !utils::check_nbits(&hash, block.header().nbits) {
 			return Err(Error::Pow);
 		}
 
 		// check if block timestamp is not far in the future
-		if age(block.header().time) < -BLOCK_MAX_FUTURE {
+		if utils::age(block.header().time) < -BLOCK_MAX_FUTURE {
 			return Err(Error::Timestamp);
 		}
 
@@ -97,7 +56,7 @@ impl Verify for ChainVerifier {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
 
-	use super::{check_nbits, ChainVerifier};
+	use super::ChainVerifier;
 	use super::super::{Verify, Chain};
 	use primitives::hash::H256;
 	use chain;
@@ -196,32 +155,4 @@ mod tests {
 		assert_eq!(Chain::Main, verifier.verify(&b1).unwrap());
 	}
 
-	#[test]
-	fn nbits() {
-		// strictly equal
-		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000001bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000000");
-		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
-		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
-
-		// nbits match but not equal (greater)
-		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000001bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000001");
-		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
-		assert!(!check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
-
-		// greater
-		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff");
-		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
-		assert!(!check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
-
-
-		// some real examples
-		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("000000000000000001f942eb4bfa0aeccb6a14c268f4c72d5fff17270da771b9");
-		let nbits = 404129525;
-		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
-
-		// some real examples
-		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000000e753ef636075711efd2cbf5a8473c7c5b67755a3701e0c2");
-		let nbits = 404129525;
-		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
-	}
 }
diff --git a/verification/src/lib.rs b/verification/src/lib.rs
index eecded87..1570de61 100644
--- a/verification/src/lib.rs
+++ b/verification/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ extern crate ethcore_devtools as devtools;
 extern crate test_data;
 
 mod queue;
+mod utils;
 mod chain_verifier;
 
 pub use queue::Queue;
diff --git a/verification/src/utils.rs b/verification/src/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2718e60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/verification/src/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+//! Verification utilities
+use primitives::hash::H256;
+use byteorder::{LittleEndian, BigEndian, ByteOrder};
+
+pub fn check_nbits(hash: &H256, n_bits: u32) -> bool {
+	let hash_bytes: &[u8] = &**hash;
+
+	let mut nb = [0u8; 4];
+	BigEndian::write_u32(&mut nb, n_bits);
+	let shift = (nb[0] - 3) as usize; // total shift for mantissa
+
+	if shift >= 30 { return false; } // invalid shift
+
+	let should_be_zero = shift + 3..32;
+	let should_be_le = shift..shift + 3;
+
+	for z_check in should_be_zero {
+		if hash_bytes[z_check as usize] != 0 { return false; }
+	}
+
+	// making u32 from 3 bytes
+	let mut order = 0;
+	let hash_val: u32 = hash_bytes[should_be_le].iter().fold(0u32, |s, a| { let r = s + ((*a as u32) << order); order = order + 8; r });
+
+	// using 3 bytes leftover of nbits
+	nb[0] = 0;
+	let threshold = BigEndian::read_u32(&nb);
+	if hash_val < threshold {
+		return true;
+	}
+	else if hash_val > threshold {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// the case when hash effective bits are equal to nbits
+	// then the rest of the hash must be zero
+	for byte in hash_bytes[0..shift].iter() { if *byte != 0 { return false; } }
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+pub fn age(protocol_time: u32) -> i64 {
+	::time::get_time().sec - protocol_time as i64
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+
+	use super::check_nbits;
+	use primitives::hash::H256;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn nbits() {
+		// strictly equal
+		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000001bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000000");
+		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
+		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
+
+		// nbits match but not equal (greater)
+		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000001bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000001");
+		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
+		assert!(!check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
+
+		// greater
+		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff");
+		let nbits = 0x181bc330u32;
+		assert!(!check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
+
+
+		// some real examples
+		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("000000000000000001f942eb4bfa0aeccb6a14c268f4c72d5fff17270da771b9");
+		let nbits = 404129525;
+		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
+
+		let hash = H256::from_reversed_str("00000000000000000e753ef636075711efd2cbf5a8473c7c5b67755a3701e0c2");
+		let nbits = 404129525;
+		assert!(check_nbits(&hash, nbits));
+	}
+}