Satoshis, BTC and dollars
Bitcoin is counted in two units. The bitcoin, written BTC or ฿, is the large one. The satoshi, usually shortened to sat, is the smallest: one hundred-millionth of a bitcoin. One bitcoin is 100,000,000 satoshis, so a balance written ฿ 0.00000546 is 546 sats.
Reading the figures
| Amount | In bitcoin | In satoshis |
|---|---|---|
| One bitcoin | ฿ 1.00000000 | 100,000,000 sats |
| A thousandth | ฿ 0.00100000 | 100,000 sats |
| A millionth | ฿ 0.00000100 | 100 sats |
| The smallest unit | ฿ 0.00000001 | 1 sat |
A report shows a balance with all eight decimals, so every satoshi is visible. Small amounts, such as the pieces the Small outputs note counts, are written in sats because the decimals would be hard to read. The chain itself counts only in satoshis; the decimal point is for people.
From bitcoin to dollars
The dollar figure is the balance multiplied by the market price at the moment the report loads. The balance does not move when the price moves; only its value does. The swap button under the balance shows the same amount in bitcoin or in your currency, and the currency can be changed at the top of the page. The value chart shows how the value of the balance moved over time, using one price per day. See what historical value means.
What it does not mean
A dollar figure is not what anyone paid for the coins and not what a sale would bring, which depends on the fees and the price at that moment. Two sites rarely show the same figure to the cent, because they read prices from different markets at different seconds. None of this is on the chain, which has no dollars in it at all.
What you can do
Switch units with the swap to see the amount both ways. Pick your currency once; the report remembers it. For a value on a past date, read the value chart or the transaction list, which shows a market value for each confirmed transfer on its confirmation date.
Common questions
Why does the report show more decimals than my wallet?
A bitcoin divides into a hundred million satoshis, and the report shows all eight decimals so that every satoshi is visible. Wallets often round.
Can a balance be smaller than one satoshi?
No. The satoshi is the smallest amount the chain records, so every balance is a whole number of satoshis.
Which price does the dollar value use?
The current market price when the report loads. The value chart and the transfers use one price per day. Prices differ slightly between sources, so figures elsewhere can differ by a little.