Bitcoin Unit Colour Chart

[XIU]

the Satoshi (100000000 Satoshi's to the BTC) is the smallest unit available, so not sure what you would do with the piccoins if you had any...  You wouldn't be able to create any transactions with them, or render them in the bitcoin client...

Will

If you can buy something for 1$ and you get a 1000 pieces then you also can't buy a single piece in dollars, in Belgium gas prices are expressed in 0.XXX but you can only pay something like XX.XX

[1713981386]

1713981386

[1713981386]

1713981386

[1713981386]

1713981386

[Alex Beckenham]

e.g  for 0.00159265   - that'd just be displayed in blue, perhaps with the blue mBTC logo alongside.

I would have thought if you're writing 0.00159265 BTC that you'd display it in gold, and only display it in blue if you're writing it as 1.59265 mBTC.

[qikaifu]

Too complicated.

Keep it simple, sir.

[pokwer]

I agree with "keep it simple" and predict the following:

We know at a glance that $23k means $23,000.00, not $23.00.  So going the other way, 0.000023BTC will become known as $23μ (where "$" is substituted for whatever symbol ends up in common usage for BTC).  All this crazy decimal stuff might seem hard now because most people are not used to dealing with the mysterious world on the right hand side of the point -- I know I had to count the zeroes and then double-check -- embarrassing!  It will become easy though, as it comes into common usage and people get a "feel" for how much $1μ is worth.  People who grow up with bitcoin will have NO problem with this.

"You paid 23 grand for that gold plated hovercraft?! Hah, damn, all about the bling with you isn't it?  You could've got one with twin reactors for less than 18μ!  LOL!"

Yes: bitcoins will be worth that much, and people will still use "LOL" in the future.  When we all have hovercrafts.

[RogerR]

Yes: bitcoins will be worth that much, and people will still use "LOL" in the future.  When we all have hovercrafts.

Laughter will be prohibited in the future. So, no.

[Alex Beckenham]

Yes: bitcoins will be worth that much, and people will still use "LOL" in the future.  When we all have hovercrafts.

Laughter will be prohibited in the future. So, no.

'LOL' hasn't had anything to do with actual laughing for a very long time.

[Tronlet]

but I don't want to look at a rainbow, and might make BTC look gay and deter some users.

Wait, I don't get it... why would cryptocurrency that appears to be attracted to cryptocurrencies of the same gender be less appealing? How does a cryptocurrency even had a gender? How many acid blotters from Silk Road are you on?

[Fakeman]

Not sure if this scheme will catch on, but those long bitcoin decimals would be a lot more readable if clients and exchanges used some sort of marker every 3 decimal places like a space, a comma or an apostrophe. Simple and unambiguous.

[netrin]

0.000023BTC will become known as $23μ

We'll just write 23μ as no other currency will be so deflated. n$23 will refer to "new dollars" which won't even buy you lint.

[netrin]

no names exits for 4,5,7 or 8 places

0.1 deci
0.01 centi
0.001 milli
0.000001 micro (since 1960)
0.000000001 nano (since 1960)
0.000000000001 pico (since 1960)
0.000000000000001 femto (since 1964)
0.000000000000000001 atto (since 1964)
0.000000000000000000001 zepto (since 1991)
0.000000000000000000000001 yocto (since 1991)

http://www.bipm.org/en/CGPM/db/19/4/

xenta, wekta, vendeka, udeka...

http://mrob.com/pub/math/ln-notes1-3.html

EDIT: yoCto

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I'm color blind.  Can't see some of the colors...

I don't like pink. Change the color of your Avatar. (boy, I hope I don't get grief over this post)

This has been a tongue-in-cheek announcement. Now back to the OP.

I like the color scheme idea, but the colors do need to be tweaked a tad.

[Alex Beckenham]

0.000000000000000000000001 yoto (since 1991)

http://www.bipm.org/en/CGPM/db/19/4/

According the source you pointed to, it seems you missed the 'c' in yocto.

[w1R903]

I like this idea.  It allows designers the means to give users two signals when they're entering bitcoin amounts.  If it's accepted widely, it reduces the chances of data entry errors.

You know, there is a guy starting up a Bitcoin standards organization.  You should get in contact with him (can't remember the name but search the forums and you'll find him).

[Alex Beckenham]

One tiny problem I foresee though is that some people seriously don't know the difference between:

$0.97
0.97 cents
97 cents

I've often seen people write 0.97 cents when they actually mean 97 cents (0.97 dollars).

[imperi]

One tiny problem I foresee though is that some people seriously don't know the difference between:

$0.97
0.97 cents
97 cents

I've often seen people write 0.97 cents when they actually mean 97 cents / 0.97 dollars.

http://verizonmath.blogspot.com/2006/12/verizon-doesnt-know-dollars-from-cents.html

Very funny.

[netrin]

I've often seen people write 0.97 cents when they actually mean 97 cents / 0.97 dollars.

100 cents = 97 cents / 0.97 dollars

( thanks for correcting my yocto )

[Alex Beckenham]

100 cents = 97 cents / 0.97 dollars

I clarified my post. I didn't mean 'divided by'.

[ribuck]

0.000000000000000001 atto (since 1964)
0.000000000000000000001 zepto (since 1991)
0.000000000000000000000001 yocto (since 1991)

I think those prefixes should be harpo, zeppo and groucho.

[foggyb]

Not sure if this scheme will catch on, but those long bitcoin decimals would be a lot more readable if clients and exchanges used some sort of marker every 3 decimal places like a space, a comma or an apostrophe. Simple and unambiguous.

Yes. This is a step in the right direction.

Another possibility:

1.1 - - 1.1
0.001  - - b.1
0.000001 - - b.b.1
0.000000001 - - b.b.b.1
1.00001 = 1.b.10
0.100099 = b.100.99
0.230001 = b.23.b.1 b.230.1
0.001100999 = b.1.1.999 b.1.100.999
0.999000000099 = b.999.b.b.99
0.464928532585 = b.464.928.532.585

I hope I didnt leave any mistakes there! Its tricky to convert, but much easier to read. It is easier to think in this format than do a conversion. Gotta put a b function on all calculators & cash registers, or we learn to convert this in our heads when doing calculations. Wow this is a tough problem. A lot of possibilities for mistakes.

[netrin]

Another possibility:

1.1 - - 1.1
0.001  - - b.1
0.000001 - - b.b.1
0.000000001 - - b.b.b.1
1.00001 = 1.b.10
0.100099 = b.100.99
0.230001 = b.23.b.1 b.230.1
0.001100999 = b.1.1.999 b.1.100.999
0.999000000099 = b.999.b.b.99
0.464928532585 = b.464.928.532.585

The Hindu-Arabic numeral system is dead! Long live Obfuscation!

You want to replace 1500 years of mathematical expressive excellence with what?