Why is the maximum target 00000000ffff00...00?

[codemojo]

This is probably a silly question, but why is maxtarget:

Code:

00000000ffff0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Since sha256 hash has 32 bits, shouldn't the maximum possible target be:

Code:

ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

[gigitrix]

Yeah, but you'd be sending data with every single calculation.

Satoshi started it off to be "easy", but he didn't make it generate 50 coins per single hash!

[codemojo]

Yeah, but you'd be sending data with every single calculation.

Satoshi started it off to be "easy", but he didn't make it generate 50 coins per single hash!

Thanks, I see now that the other calculations take the actual maximum into account:

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Difficulty