Shapeshift Throws Its Support Behind the Bits Standard for Measuring Bitcoin
Bitcoin developer Jimmy Song is on a mission to redefine the default standard for measuring bitcoin. If Song has his way, BTC will be recorded in “bits” by default, with each bit corresponding to one thousandth of a bitcoin. His Bitcoin Improvement Proposal for bits was submitted in December and this week, the plan came a step closer to reality after Shapeshift’s Erik Voorhees threw his weight behind the plan.
One Bitcoin, One Thousand Bits
The notion of rebranding bitcoin so that the cryptocurrency can be referenced in more relatable amounts is not a new one. Previous suggestions included referring to 0.001 – or one thousandth of a bitcoin – as a millibit. In an op-ed in early December, news.Bitcoin.com wrote:
With BTC/USD now running into five figures – seven if you include decimal points – bitcoin has become unwieldy. It’s time to consider alternative ways of measuring the cryptocurrency, especially when dealing with fractions of a coin.
A couple of weeks later, respected bitcoin developer Jimmy Song began making noises about simply using “bits” instead of millibits, a suggestion which, it was generally agreed, made more sense. Song then formalized this idea into “BIP 176: Utilization of bits denomination” and submitted it to Github.
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