A recent BIP proposes a new way to present Bitcoin’s base unit
Bitcoiners have always had a thing for precision. We track sats, check block heights, and calculate eight decimal places without hesitation. But the way we present value in Bitcoin, especially with long strings of zeros, often feels disconnected from how the system actually works.
A recent Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) by John Carvalho, CEO of Synonym (makers of Bitkit, a self-custodial Bitcoin and Lightning wallet) and longtime Bitcoin advocate, offers a different approach. It suggests redefining the word “bitcoin” to refer to the smallest indivisible unit in the system, what we currently call a satoshi. Rather than displaying balances like 0.00000851 BTC, wallets would simply show 851 bitcoins. The protocol would remain the same. Only the way we display and interpret amounts would change.
There Were Never Decimals to Begin With
Although most Bitcoin interfaces present values with decimals, the protocol itself does not use them. Internally, everything is counted in whole numbers. The smallest unit, a satoshi, is indivisible and already serves as the base layer of accounting. 
The decimal formatting is an interface choice, originally meant to resemble familiar fiat currencies. But this abstraction can make Bitcoin appear more complex than it is, especially to new users who may struggle to understand what a fraction of a bitcoin really means.
Making Bitcoin More Legible
This proposal reimagines how Bitcoin is presented in wallets and applications. Instead of showing fractions, all values would be displayed as whole units of the base denomination. What is now shown as 0.0001 BTC would simply be displayed as 10,000 bitcoins.
High unit values are not unusual in other currencies. The Japanese yen and Indonesian rupiah operate with large numbers, and most users have no issue navigating those systems.
Here are a few examples of how the new format would look:
| Current Format | New Format |
|---|---|
| 0.00010000 BTC | 10,000 bitcoins |
| 1.00 BTC | 100,000,000 bitcoins |
| ₿0.345 | ₿34,500,000 |
This would not require any changes to the Bitcoin protocol. It is purely about display and user interface.
Why “Bits” Did Not Solve It
Previous proposals have attempted to make Bitcoin easier to understand by introducing new units, such as “bits,” which represent 100 satoshis. While this reduced the number of decimal places, it introduced a new denomination that users had to learn and switch between.
Carvalho’s proposal avoids this issue by keeping everything in one unit. There is no need to convert between sats, bits, and BTC. The user sees exactly what the protocol sees: whole units of value.
A Case for Change
There are several reasons to consider adopting this approach. Whole numbers are easier to read and interpret. They improve the visual clarity of transactions and reduce the risk of user error. For someone new to Bitcoin, it may be more intuitive to see 25,000 bitcoins than 0.00025 BTC.
The proposal also reflects how Bitcoin works at a technical level. Transactions do not involve decimals, only counts of base units. Presenting those units directly could help align user understanding with Bitcoin’s actual design.
A Gradual Transition
This change would not happen overnight. Most people are accustomed to thinking in BTC. Wallets, apps, and payment systems would need to update interfaces and provide clear options to view amounts in either format. Dual displays could help during the transition.
Importantly, nothing about Bitcoin’s monetary policy or consensus rules would change. The supply cap remains the same. The shift is about representation, not value.
A More Honest View of Bitcoin
Bitcoin has always been a system built on whole numbers. The decimals came later, added to interfaces to help users make sense of the amounts they were handling. But those decimals also introduced confusion, especially as adoption has grown and more users interact with smaller amounts.
This proposal asks whether it is time to stop hiding Bitcoin’s true structure behind a decimal point. By embracing the base unit as the standard, Bitcoin could become more transparent and accessible without changing anything fundamental.
Sometimes clarity is not about adding new ideas, but about removing old habits.
