What is the discussion of BIP177 and Bitcoin names?

June 6th What is the discussion of BIP177 and Bitcoin names?

The Bitcoin name debate is a long-standing, sometimes heated debate about what to name a Bitcoin unit after the decimal point. It also highlights the deeper tension between cultural traditions and the ease of Bitcoin. The main suggestion is to remove decimals, change the smallest unit of Bitcoin to “Bitcoin” and become the default sect of everyday use. Satoshi has become an iconic and widely recognized unit, but some developers and thought leaders argue that “bits” equal to 100 SATs are intuitive due to mainstream adoption, especially as Bitcoin’s value increases. This conversation became urgent with the emergence of Bip 177. BIP177 is a proposal by synonymous CEO John Carvalho that rethinks the Bitcoin user interface by completely removing decimal and standardizing Bitcoin as a base unit for displays. Like previous changes such as Segwit and Taproot, meaningful changes to the user experience require years of discussion, not just testing and tweaking. Whether BIP 177 is successful or a food stall will succeed, it depends not only on the merits, but also on the willingness of the community to evolve the Bitcoin interface for global audiences.

16 years from now, why discuss the names of the smallest units of BTC?

Bitcoin as a digital asset can be divided into very small units to promote a wide range of economic activity, from high value movements to microtransactions. The best known unit is Satoshi, representing 1/100,000,000 Bitcoin. The term “atshi” or “sat” was first proposed in 2010 on Bitcointalk.org, gaining traction after a user named Ribuck used it to refer to and propose the smallest department possible (he also proposed the name “Austria” to the Austrian School of Economics). Over time, the community accepted Satoshi as an atomic unit of Bitcoin. This pays homage to Nakamoto Atoshi, creator of Bitcoin’s pseudonyms. It becomes a cultural shorthand, and is widely used in wallets and discussions across the Bitcoin ecosystem, for example, “SAT stacking.”

However, another sect, bits, have been proposed as a more intuitive way to represent smaller values ​​equal to 100 Satoshu or 1/1,000,000 Bitcoin. The term “bit” appeared in early Bitcoin discourse and attracted new attention because its simplicity and similarity to traditional currency forms. Notable voices like Adam Back have suggested reviving the bit for mainstream adoption, and be aware that if Bitcoin’s price reaches $1 million, a bit will rival $1 dollars and mental conversions will be easier. Supporters argue that BITS is closely mapped to everyday language and economic behavior, while SAT has its large numerical representation, which is cognitively burdensome for the average user. Therefore, the discussion of SAT and BITS emphasizes the tension between cultural traditions and easy-to-use designs.

Bitcoin has several different unit denominations: BTC, MBTC (millibitcoin), µBTC (microbitcoin or “bit”), and Satosis, which can be confusing for non-programmers and everyday users. One full Bitcoin (1 BTC) is equivalent to 1,000 MBTC, 1,000,000 bits (µBTC), or 100,000,000 Satosh. This variety creates unnecessary complexity, especially when users encounter small decimals like 0.000043 BTC or 4300 Satoshis, making it difficult to grasp how much it actually costs. Under BIP 177, the 100 million antoshis of all Bitcoin is called “Mega Bitcoin.” For those unfamiliar with dealing with microdenomination and scientific notation, the use of inconsistent units across wallets and platforms can feel alienated, inexplicable, and unnecessary technical, which is more similar to the logic of software developers than consumer money.

In 2025, BIP 177 was introduced by synonym CEO John Carvalho as a proposal to redefine a commonly understood unit by creating a base unit. Instead of using simulated decimals to represent the amount of Bitcoin (e.g. 0.00004321 BTC), the proposal recommends eliminating decimal points completely and calling each base unit a single “bitcoin.” In this model, what was previously called one “Satoshi” (1/100,000,000 BTC) is labelled as one Bitcoin, matching the reality that the Bitcoin protocol natively handles integer values ​​rather than floating point decimals in the user interface. Proponents argue that fractional systems are confusing legacy UI abstractions, especially for newcomers who struggle to parse small fractional quantities. BIP 177 does not make any changes to consensus rules or data on the chain, but requires a coordinated shift in wallets and exchange interfaces, presenting cultural challenges for entrenched terms such as “SATS.” By standardizing integer-based displays, BIP aims to simplify education, reduce cognitive load and reflect the essence of Bitcoin integral accounting.

The motivation behind this shift is primarily practical. As Bitcoin’s value and adoption grows, most people don’t own a full BTC. It can help to provide balances across integers, such as “bits,” renamed “bits,” or otherwise make new employee assets easier to understand. Critics of BIP 177 argued that removing Satoshi’s label could erase some of Bitcoin’s cultural history, while others view change as a necessary evolution for the ease of use of the masses. Regardless of the outcome, the conversation emphasizes a broader point. Unit representations are not technical, they shape perception, accessibility and ultimately adoption. The discussion between SAT, BIT, and BIP 177 Vision reflects Bitcoin’s ongoing process of refinement in financial interfaces for global audiences.

The Bitkit wallet is the first to adopt the BIP 177 standard

The synonymous Bitkit Wallet is an independent Bitcoin and lightning wallet focused on enabling a user-friendly experience for everyday people to be put into the Bitcoin ecosystem. BitKit, a sister company to Bitfinex, developed by synonyms, emphasizes privacy, interoperability and sovereignty. It integrates a variety of features, including built-in Lightning Nodes, contact-based payments using distributed identifiers (DIDS), and seamless backups via encrypted cloud anchors. But beyond its advanced capabilities, Bitkit has emerged as a pioneer in wallet design through the early and enthusiastic adoption of the BIP 177.

BIP 177 introduces clear and consistent specifications for displaying Bitcoin values ​​using intuitive unit naming and formatting. Rather than defaulting confused fractions like BTC (Bitcoin), MBTC or µBTC, BIP 177 proposes using “Bitcoin” as a standard display unit. 1BTC equals 100,000,000 Bitcoins. This unit size is much more approachable and human-friendly, as it avoids the troublesome decimals, especially for new users. For example, instead of displaying a transaction as “0.000043 BTC”, wallets that comply with BIP 177 will display “43 Bitcoin”. This makes Bitcoin feel like a foreign technical currency, a usable medium of exchange with a comprehensive sect, reflecting familiar currencies experiences like St. and Satoshi.

Bitkit’s decision to lead the adoption of BIP 177 is important as user experience is one of the biggest hurdles for popular adoption of Bitcoin. Most Bitcoin wallets are still defaulted to BTC or Satoshi denominations, which can alienate or confuse non-technical users. By defending BIP 177, Bitkit offers a more readable and accessible interface that removes friction during the onboarding stage. Doing so will set new usability standards and pressure other wallet developers to rethink their own UI/UX rules. The implementation of Bitkit is more than just a symbol. It provides practical examples of how standardization across the wallet improves interoperability and reduces the learning curve across the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Does BIP 177 have community support to become a lasting change in Bitcoin?

Jack Dorsey’s Square has recently adopted the standard, but adoption of the BIP 177 remains uncertain at present. Although some advanced projects like the synonym Bitkit adopt the standard, most Bitcoin applications continue to default to display BTC or Satoshis. This reflects the deeper reality of Bitcoin development. The changes in widely adopted standards, particularly those involved with user interface conventions, are notoriously difficult. Many users and developers resist changing established norms, even if the proposed changes improve accessibility. Without a coordinated push from key players in ecosystems, wallets, payment processors and education platforms, the risk of BIP 177 becomes another intentional but sidelined proposal.

This challenge is rooted in Bitcoin’s consensus culture and how the BIP process works. BIPS (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal) is a proposal submitted to improve various aspects of the protocol or its ecosystem, ranging from changes in core consensus to UI conventions such as unit displays. Some BIPs require network-wide consensus and node upgrades (such as soft forks), while other BIPs, such as BIP 177, are nonconsensual changes that rely on voluntary adoption by developers and service providers. Still, meaningful changes in Bitcoin need to navigate fragmented, careful, fiercely skeptical communities. Bitcoin’s decentralization is its greatest strength, so a single authority cannot mandate change. With the value of Bitcoin rises and approaching parity of $1, more intuitive display standards like BIP 177 using Bitcoin instead of Decimals, making it easier to understand everyday transactions and gain broader support by making them mentally converting.

Historically, it took years to gain traction, even if it changes with clear technical benefits like Segwit (BIP 141) and Taproot (BIP 341). For example, Segwit was proposed in 2015 and did not activate until 2017 after intense debate and social adjustments involving user-activated soft forks (UASFs) and minor signaling battles. These examples highlight how deeply conservative and consensus-driven the Bitcoin ecosystem is. Reluctance to embrace minor interface adjustments is not necessarily indifference or obstructionism, but a culture of deep vigilance of change without broad consensus and strict testing. This conservatism helps ensure Bitcoin’s long-term resilience, but it can also slow down improvements in the user experience.

In this context, the BIP 177 may or may not be the de facto unit display standard. One of the benefits of BIP 177 is that it can be voluntary or opt-in changes, so adoption can occur voluntarily. Wallet developers need to adjust their display logic, exchanges need to support pricing and withdrawal bits, and users need to learn new mental models of value representation. Without strong leadership from well-known apps and businesses, or ground swells of grassroots demand, BIP 177 can join a long list of Bitcoin proposals that remain in Limbo, which are not rejected and not adopted. Currently, Bitcoin-centric projects such as Spiral, Square, Workit and Cashu are at various stages of adoption of BIP 177. In protocols where “not change” is the default stance, even modest improvements like the BIP 177 need to clear high bars to gain that position in the Bitcoin Tools standard toolkit.