Bitcoin Forum

Can anyone tell me that out of 2^160 addresses possible, how many BTC addresses have been used atleast once. Till today, I might have surely used a minimum of 150 addresses.

Maybe it helps you a bit:

https://blockchain.info/charts/n-unique-addresses?timespan=all&showDataPoints=false&daysAverageString=1&show_header=true&scale=0&address=

This is probably more of what you are asking for (I think the one above is showing the number of unique addresses seen per day):
http://bitcoinrichlist.com/charts/bitcoin-distribution-by-address?atblock=320000

I don't believe either of these show the total number of addresses that have *ever* had a balance. So an address that had 1 bitcoin 2 years ago, but zero now wouldn't be counted here.  You could calculate that of course by parsing the blockchain.  (It is difficult to tell for sure whether the "0" in the "Bitcoin Balance" is inclusive or not).

You can use the Blockchain.info data to compute a very clear upper bound. You see that the peak of addresses used per day is a bit below 250,000. Bitcoin has existed since 03-01-2009, so 2137 days. If every day 250,000 new addresses were used, that would be a total of 534 million addresses, or 5.34 * 10^8, where the total number of possible addresses exceeds 10^48.

Of course, this estimate is way above the actual value, which is probably at least a factor 10 lower. But it does nicely show that the number of addresses that have been used isn't even remotely close to the total size of the address space.

Additionally, its impossible to know how many bitcoin addresses have been created, but which haven't yet received any bitcoins.

For example, I just installed a wallet and I created 20 receiving addresses.  However, I haven't sent any bitcoins to any of these new addresses yet.  Therefore, they don't exist in the blockchain, and until I tell anyone about them, there is no way for anybody to know that they are "in use".

As such, it is nearly impossible to determine how many addresses have been "used".  At best, you can make a estimated guess, but you won't know how close your guess is.

If you just want to know how many addresses have ever received any bitcoins at all, it shouldn't be too difficult to parse the blockchain and count them up.  I'm not sure that the information will be useful for anything, but it wouldn't be difficult to do.

Keep in mind, however, that many bitcoins aren't sent to addresses.  There are P2SH and other types of transactions where the bitcoins are locked by something other than an address.

How much is 2^160 in a linear format? Or how many quadrillions are there? Are you competing in addresses mining using reverse asics to get some speed?

According to wolfram alpha...http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2%5E160&dataset=

I think that'll need to wait until the heat death of the universe before we'll have a collision.

A related question: how many total BTC addresses can be created? An endless number or there is a limit?

While technically there is a limit, the limit is so high that it is essentially "endless" in terms of how we humans are capable of making use of time.

Specifically there are just a bit more than 1.4615 X 10⁴⁸ possible addresses.

Limited in theory, endless in practice.  ;)

I dont know how to say it in quadrillions but in linear format, 2^160 = 1,460,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 addresses. That's really a big number

So basically, counting used bitcoin addresses is near to impossible, so why doesn't Blockchain.info and similar doesn't show any warning/messages about this? ???


Don't worry! 1 quindecillion 461 quattuordecillion 501 tredecillion 637 duodecillion 330 undecillion 902 decillion 918 nonillion 203 octillion 684 septillion 832 sextillion 716 quintillion 283 quadrillion 19 trillion 655 billion 932 million 542 thousand 976 (source WolframAlpha). ;)

   ~~MZ~~

Warning about what?

Why would it matter whether or not you can count the generated but unused bitcoin addresses?

I meant Blockchain.info and similar shows the number of used address, isn't it misleading as it isn't accurate? or is it accurate? ???


I don't think I can count unused address, I mentioned about used addresses and amount shown in websites. :)

   ~~MZ~~

Sounds like Scrooge McDuck's wealth  ;D

I assume you are talking about this chart:
https://blockchain.info/charts/n-unique-addresses

In that case, when blockchain.info reports "unique bitcoin addresses used", they are talking about addresses that have received bitcoins on that day.  It is quite easy to count the addresses that receive bitcoins.  What is impossible is to know how many new addresses were generated which haven't received any bitcoins at those new addresses yet.


It all depends on what you mean by "used addresses".  In my comment that you replied to, I made it clear that I was talking about addresses that had not yet received bitcoins:


You replied to this stating that "counting used bitcoin addresses is impossible".


That would imply that when you say "used bitcoin addresses", you are talking about bitcoin addresses that have been created, but which haven't yet received any bitcoins.


If you want to know how many unique addresses have received bitcoins that are confirmed in the blockchain, that can be counted and known.

If you want to know how many unique addresses have been generated in peoples wallets, that cannot be counted or known.

BTC Addresses in use now are around 200-250.000. Number of BTC addresses are increased so much in confront of the last year. Next year we will see something of very good :)

The number of addresses will increase also, if we have one satoshi / address...this is coming in the next years.

its good news
thanks for info ;)

I think around 1/4 are owned by exchanges/gambling sites.

still far away from being impossible, it could happen one day, this is why it's better to split bitcoin(big amount) in to multiple address

You and I have a very different definition of the word "impossible".


No.  As long as the addresses are properly generated, it can't.


If we assume for the sake of argument that you are correct about there being a chance that it could happen, wouldn't you be increasing the likelihood that someone will collide with one of your addresses if you split your money up into multiple addresses?  If you split up you money into 10 addresses, wouldn't that mean that you are ten times more likely to lose some of it?

I have used around 100-110 address till now  ;D

Wanna buy your bitcoin private keys which you not need anymore
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=908320.0

For those still worrying about having an address collision, I think they simply don't get how incredibly low the chance is.

Is it possible for one to be struck by lightning 10 times tomorrow? Theoretically yes.
Should one be worried about that? I won't.

How many are possible BTC addresses that can be generated ? How many GB space need for all of them ?

there are 2¹⁶⁰ addresses which start with '1'
You have to have ~ 2¹³⁵ GB to store all their privkeys

The probability across a address by another one is very very low but i don't feel safe .... it could be with more address possible ? BTC foundation team could change that ?

So is the probability of all the air molecules spontaneously collecting together in one corner of the room and suffocating everyone in the room.


Then you should study more maths.


No.


No. That would be a waste of time and effort right now.

You want to say probability of someone hack me by account number and password on a bank is more than 6 billion men across me on BTcs addressees ?

Another question i want to make 1000 BTCs addressees and send my Bitcoins to them equally for more security . How can i do it without fee and fast ?

you're looking at this http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/13442/how-to-do-mass-payouts-in-my-application-to-multiple-addresses-at-once-or-very

but i think there are program that let you do this even faster

you can't do it without fees, too many inputs, never will be confirmed

You don't need any space to store all of the private keys. Check out directory.io. You can find all of the private keys listed there.

In fact I even do not need directory.io
I already have all private keys.
For example the key number 0xc4bbcb1fbec99d65bf59d85c8cb62ee2db963f0fe106f483d9afa73bd4e39a8a in my collection (I really like hex counting by the way) is 5KJvsngHeMpm884wtkJNzQGaCErckhHJBGFsvd3VyK5qMZXj3hS
You may ask me about any key - I will tell you it for free
Just give me its order in my list :)