<p>There is no length or size of a bitcoin, conceptually you just have a value stored in a database (the blockchain) and the encryption keys to validate that you have control over the associated amount of bitcoin. Bitcoins are public and private key pairs.  The private key contains 256-bits. This is used to derive a public key (that bitcoin users do not see, but they are published once bitcoins are being spent) and a bitcoin address which users do see and interact with.  Bitcoin addresses are base-58 encoded so that there is no confusion between certain characters such as 0 vs O.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-01T05:42:41.613Z
I find the sentence "Bitcoins are public and private key pairs." a bit misleading, perhaps that should be phrased differently.
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T16:11:43.497Z
2016-05-24T16:11:43.497Z
Mark S.
<p>A Bitcoin address, is an identifier of 26-35 alphanumeric characters, beginning with the number 1 or 3.</p>

<p>Most addresses are 33 or 34 characters long.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T15:37:25.177Z
2016-05-24T15:53:44.163Z
2016-05-24T15:53:44.163Z
Javier
<p>A bitcoin is not a piece of data, and therefore does not have a length.  A bitcoin, the unit of currency, is just like any other unit of measurement.  It wouldn't make sense to ask "how much data is a meter?", and likewise it doesn't make sense to ask how long a bitcoin is.</p>

<p>That said, the <em>amount</em> of bitcoin that is stored by an individual is the sum of all the bitcoin denoted in the <a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/unspent-transaction-output">unspent transaction outputs</a> (UTXOs) that are controlled by the individual.  These <em>are</em> pieces of data and <a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/developer-reference#txout">do have a size</a>...albeit a variable one.  These outputs do not need to be stored by the owner, as they are stored on the blockchain.  All the owner needs to store is private keys that allow them to spend the UTXOs, which is what a wallet manages for you.</p>

<p>I hope that helps.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-01T05:40:03.473Z
+1 I started writing an answer, but found that I was essentially reiterating what you wrote.
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T17:01:50.527Z
2016-05-24T17:01:50.527Z
Jestin
<p>I searched already but I couldn't find anything about the structure of a bitcoin.</p>

<p>My understanding is that a bitcoin, which is different AFAIK from a bitcoin address, can be interpreted as a string of numbers and characters (alphanumeric). How long is a bitcoin string (min/max)?</p>

<p>I found here (<a href="https://blockexplorer.com/block/000000000000000002109f32aeac7a036232b0116f939326651e739a28e6d6b6" rel="nofollow">https://blockexplorer.com/block/000000000000000002109f32aeac7a036232b0116f939326651e739a28e6d6b6</a>) now a size of: 934325 bytes for a particular bitcoin. Could this be the length of the particular bitcoin?</p>

<p>PS: I searched always for length and not for size...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T16:04:06.233Z
the size you have there is the size of the block and all of the transactions included in it
Mark S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-01T05:36:08.003Z
I've edited your question to remove your summary of the answers. Please don't answer your own question in the question post. If you want to answer your own question, please add an answer post instead.
Murch
<block><utxo><database>
How long is a Bitcoin?
musbach
# How long is a Bitcoin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-24)

I searched already but I couldn't find anything about the structure of a bitcoin.

My understanding is that a bitcoin, which is different AFAIK from a bitcoin address, can be interpreted as a string of numbers and characters (alphanumeric). How long is a bitcoin string (min/max)?

I found here (<https://blockexplorer.com/block/000000000000000002109f32aeac7a036232b0116f939326651e739a28e6d6b6>) now a size of: 934325 bytes for a particular bitcoin. Could this be the length of the particular bitcoin?

PS: I searched always for length and not for size...

**Tags:** block, utxo, database

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: the size you have there is the size of the block and all of the transactions included in it  
> **username_2**: I've edited your question to remove your summary of the answers. Please don't answer your own question in the question post. If you want to answer your own question, please add an answer post instead.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-05-24. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

A bitcoin is not a piece of data, and therefore does not have a length. A bitcoin, the unit of currency, is just like any other unit of measurement. It wouldn't make sense to ask "how much data is a meter?", and likewise it doesn't make sense to ask how long a bitcoin is.

That said, the *amount* of bitcoin that is stored by an individual is the sum of all the bitcoin denoted in the [unspent transaction outputs](https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/unspent-transaction-output) (UTXOs) that are controlled by the individual. These *are* pieces of data and [do have a size](https://bitcoin.org/en/developer-reference#txout)...albeit a variable one. These outputs do not need to be stored by the owner, as they are stored on the blockchain. All the owner needs to store is private keys that allow them to spend the UTXOs, which is what a wallet manages for you.

I hope that helps.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: +1 I started writing an answer, but found that I was essentially reiterating what you wrote.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-05-24. Score: 2

There is no length or size of a bitcoin, conceptually you just have a value stored in a database (the blockchain) and the encryption keys to validate that you have control over the associated amount of bitcoin. Bitcoins are public and private key pairs. The private key contains 256-bits. This is used to derive a public key (that bitcoin users do not see, but they are published once bitcoins are being spent) and a bitcoin address which users do see and interact with. Bitcoin addresses are base-58 encoded so that there is no confusion between certain characters such as 0 vs O.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I find the sentence "Bitcoins are public and private key pairs." a bit misleading, perhaps that should be phrased differently.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-24. Score: 1

A Bitcoin address, is an identifier of 26-35 alphanumeric characters, beginning with the number 1 or 3.

Most addresses are 33 or 34 characters long.


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