<blockquote>
  <p>"We can represent any bitcoin account with MaxBTC 2<sup>51</sup>."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It appears that <code>MaxBTC</code> is used here as a strict upper bound to refer to maximum number of bitcoins that will ever exist.</p>

<p>There will always be <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/38998/5406">fewer than 21m bitcoins</a>. All of Bitcoin's protocol logic actually is defined in terms of satoshis. There are 100 million satoshis per bitcoin. Altogether, this means that there will be fewer than 2,100,000,000,000,000 or 2.1×10<sup>15</sup> satoshis.</p>

<p>Therefore, 2<sup>51</sup>, which is about 2.25×10<sup>15</sup>, is larger than the total satoshis that will ever exist in the Bitcoin protocol and thus big enough to express any single amount of bitcoin that will ever need to be referenced.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T19:33:14.717Z
2018-04-22T15:01:37.463Z
2018-04-22T15:01:37.463Z
Murch
<p>I am trying to understand what is the phrase "MaxBTC" and for what is it used? I am new to bitcoins.</p>

<p>Thank you very much.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-16T20:41:40.080Z
In case you don't know, *BTC* is an abbreviation for bitcoin, the currency.  It's similar to how US dollars can be called *USD*, and Euros can be called *EUR*.  I know that's pretty basic stuff, but I'm not sure just how new you are, and I want to make sure you at least have that part down :)
Jestin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-16T21:06:59.133Z
Ah! Thank you very much ! So MaxBTC is maximum value for bitcoin? :/ :/
elli
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-16T21:10:52.087Z
No, I don't think so.  I'm not sure where you are seeing this term, but I think MaxBTC used to be a mining pool a few years back (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=68734.0).  I'm not finding anything relevent when googling the term, so I'm curious why you're asking about it.
Jestin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-17T00:01:45.147Z
I have found it in an article about provision : privacy=preserving proofs of solvency. And suddenly they use that term. It says "We can represent any bitcoin account with MaxBTC  2^(51) . Perhaps its something I am not getting.
elli
<terminology><reward-schedule><money-supply>
What is MaxBTC and what it represents?
elli
# What is MaxBTC and what it represents?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-16)

I am trying to understand what is the phrase "MaxBTC" and for what is it used? I am new to bitcoins.

Thank you very much.

**Tags:** terminology, reward-schedule, money-supply

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In case you don't know, *BTC* is an abbreviation for bitcoin, the currency.  It's similar to how US dollars can be called *USD*, and Euros can be called *EUR*.  I know that's pretty basic stuff, but I'm not sure just how new you are, and I want to make sure you at least have that part down :)  
> **username_0**: Ah! Thank you very much ! So MaxBTC is maximum value for bitcoin? :/ :/  
> **username_1**: No, I don't think so.  I'm not sure where you are seeing this term, but I think MaxBTC used to be a mining pool a few years back (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=68734.0).  I'm not finding anything relevent when googling the term, so I'm curious why you're asking about it.  
> **username_0**: I have found it in an article about provision : privacy=preserving proofs of solvency. And suddenly they use that term. It says "We can represent any bitcoin account with MaxBTC  2^(51) . Perhaps its something I am not getting.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-01-11. Score: 2

> "We can represent any bitcoin account with MaxBTC 251."

It appears that `MaxBTC` is used here as a strict upper bound to refer to maximum number of bitcoins that will ever exist.

There will always be [fewer than 21m bitcoins](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/38998/5406). All of Bitcoin's protocol logic actually is defined in terms of satoshis. There are 100 million satoshis per bitcoin. Altogether, this means that there will be fewer than 2,100,000,000,000,000 or 2.1×1015 satoshis.

Therefore, 251, which is about 2.25×1015, is larger than the total satoshis that will ever exist in the Bitcoin protocol and thus big enough to express any single amount of bitcoin that will ever need to be referenced.


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