BIP-0177: Could a Bitcoin Soon Be Just a Satoshi?
A bold proposal called BIP-0177 is gaining traction in the global Bitcoin community. If passed, the definition of a “Bitcoin” as we know it could change completely – as the smallest base unit, a satoshi, is redefined as “1 Bitcoin”.
Goodbye Decimals, Hello Integers
Currently, 1 Bitcoin (BTC) is equivalent to 100 million satoshis. However, for practical use, users often transact with decimal numbers like 0.001 BTC or 0.00002345 BTC – confusing for newcomers and even experienced users.
BIP-0177, proposed by John Carvalho (CEO of Synonym.to) and Mark "Murch" Erhardt (veteran Bitcoin developer), proposes a simple but bold idea: to abolish decimal thinking, and change the definition of “Bitcoin” to the smallest base unit – that is, 1 satoshi = 1 new Bitcoin.
Accordingly, what is currently called "1 BTC" will become 100,000,000 Bitcoins in the new way. From then on, the entire system will operate based on integers, no longer with difficult-to-read and confusing decimal numbers.
Decimal thinking is distorting the way Bitcoin is viewed
In Bitcoin's ledger, every transaction is inherently recorded in integers – that is, in satoshis (sats). The human-imposed decimal representation has led to confusion about Bitcoin being a currency unit divided by a decimal point, like USD or EUR.
According to BIP-0177, the change will help align how Bitcoin works within the system and how it is presented to end users, thereby reducing confusion, increasing clarity, and providing a more accessible user experience.
For example:
Current 0.00010000 BTC would become ₿10,000
Today's 10 BTC would become ₿1,000,000,000 under the new system
The BTC symbol will remain to represent the old unit (1 BTC = 100 million base units), while the ₿ symbol is proposed to represent the new base unit Bitcoin.
Not mandatory, but potentially game-changing
BIP-0177 is not intended to impose a mandatory change across the ecosystem. Instead, wallets and user interfaces can optionally display values in the new or old format, allowing users to get used to it over time.
Not everyone agrees, however. Ron Tarter, CEO of MNEE, believes that removing the decimal point is the right move, but that calling the smallest unit “Bitcoin” could cause further confusion:
“It would be easier to understand if you removed the decimal point. But calling a satoshi a ‘Bitcoin’ is more misleading. Maybe we should keep the name ‘sat’ or come up with a new name altogether.”
However, he agrees that changing the representation could make the Bitcoin ecosystem more accessible to the general public, especially as global adoption grows.-The Future of Bitcoin Could Be Integer
If BIP-0177 is widely adopted, the way we think about and use Bitcoin will fundamentally change. As fractions of BTC become more valuable, viewing a “Bitcoin” as a small unit rather than a whole BTC may be a more sensible approach – both in terms of user psychology and underlying technology.
