‘Sats’ vs ‘bits’ debate reignites amid proposal to change Bitcoin base unit

A caller connection that aims to alteration Bitcoin’s basal portion to marque it easier to recognize arsenic a outgo instrumentality has tally into opposition, with critics saying Bitcoin’s satoshis are nary much confusing than the dollar’s cents.

Bitcoin developer John Carvalho introduced Bitcoin Improvement Proposal-177 connected April 23, which seeks to destruct the conception of satoshis, of which determination are 100,000,000 successful 1 Bitcoin (BTC), and efficaciously divided Bitcoin’s fixed proviso of 21 cardinal into 21 quadrillion units.

It follows a 2017 proposal from Bitcoin developer Jimmy Song to make “bits,” representing one-millionth of 1 Bitcoin. However, Carvalho said Song’s attack would inactive necessitate Bitcoin users to deliberation astir decimals and “shifts complexity alternatively than eliminating it.”

Block Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey is among those calling for the change, saying successful a May 18 X station that satoshis, oregon sats, are excessively confusing for newcomers.

“Bits of Bitcoin is better, and conscionable Bitcoin is best,” Dorsey said.

Dorsey pointed to a December 2024 treatment connected the taxable wherever Stevie Lee, merchandise pb of Bitcoin infrastructure steadfast Spiral, argued that not capable radical cognize oregon attraction astir what satoshis are.

“Everyone knows Bitcoin, nary 1 knows sats, radical conscionable privation to nonstop and person Bitcoin,” Lee said, recalling past conversations wherever radical thought satoshis were an wholly caller token, unrelated to Bitcoin.

He added that the Bitcoin assemblage shouldn’t beryllium excessively acrophobic with the change, arsenic they cognize the underlying economics of Bitcoin would stay intact.

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Swan Bitcoin CEO Cory Klippsten and Byte Federal manager of merchandise Michelle Weekley were among those who opposed the change.

“People recognize cents successful a dollar, they volition recognize sats successful a Bitcoin,” Weekley said connected X.

Magdalena Gronowska, a self-described Bitcoin consultant, claimed that the change could marque immoderate radical deliberation that Bitcoin abruptly crashed from its existent terms of astir $100,000 and that its “supply has massively inflated.”

Zaprite concern improvement pb Parker Lewis argued that sats were easier to understand. Source: Parker Lewis

Bitcoin creator was unfastened to the idea

Robin Linus, the creator of the Bitcoin Virtual Machine (BitVM), highlighted that adjacent Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was unfastened to changing however Bitcoin’s units are displayed for the intent of usability.

“If it gets tiresome moving with tiny numbers, we could alteration wherever the show shows the decimal point,” Satoshi said successful a February 2010 station before vanishing the pursuing year.

“Same magnitude of money, conscionable antithetic convention,” Satoshi added.

Comment from Satoshi Nakamoto astir changing Bitcoin’s portion basal successful February 2010. Source: Bitcointalk

The Bitcoin web hasn't implemented immoderate betterment proposals since the Taproot upgrade in November 2021, which aimed to amended Bitcoin’s speed, ratio and privacy.

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