A table with every unit of the three main chains and its exact equivalence. Type an amount to see it expressed in each unit at once.
| Unit | Decimals | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
sat Satoshi | 0 | 100,000,000Smallest on-chain unit |
bits Bit (microbitcoin) | 2 | 1,000,000100 satoshis |
mBTC Millibitcoin | 5 | 1,000100,000 satoshis |
BTC Bitcoin | 8 | 1100,000,000 satoshis |
Every equivalence is computed with big-integer arithmetic over each chain's smallest unit, so the figures are exact rather than approximations.
The three most-used chains solve the same problem the same way. Because protocols operate on integers, each defines a minimum base unit and expresses everything else as multiples of it. On Bitcoin that unit is the satoshi, with eight decimals. On Ethereum it is the wei, with eighteen. On Solana it is the lamport, with nine.
That decimal count is the only real difference between them, and it explains why amounts look so different. A raw Ethereum balance has eighteen more digits than you would expect, while a Bitcoin one has only eight. When you read raw data from a node, a contract log or an API response, it is almost always in the base unit rather than the one the wallet displays.
The intermediate names are mostly interface conventions rather than parts of the protocol. Bitcoin has bits (100 satoshis) and mBTC (100,000 satoshis). Ethereum has kwei, mwei, gwei, szabo and finney, of which only gwei sees daily use, being the unit gas fees are quoted in. Solana has no intermediate units at all: just lamports and SOL.
The whole table is computed with big integers over the base unit, so the equivalences are exact rather than approximations. It works as a quick reference when you are reading on-chain data, writing a script that queries a node, or checking a transaction amount before signing it. The price field is optional and only affects the fiat column.
