<p>Days destroyed are measured in BTC * days
Amounts of BTC are measured in BTCs</p>

<p>The two concepts are as different as Power (Watts) vs Energy (Joules).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T02:59:51.897Z
Understood.  But one is linearly proportional to the other.  So why do we need both?  With power and energy, we’re usually dealing with a subset of the set of devices or of the supply, so the difference is meaningful.  No doubt there’s some other detail I’m missing.
WGroleau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T03:31:33.773Z
Not true. The UPPER BOUND of Days-destroyed is linearly proportional to the total amount of BTC in existence. But if no transactions occur, then Days-destroyed will not grow.
uminatsu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-22T15:47:35.970Z
“no transactions occurring” is a hypothetical that will never happen.  So days destroyed correlates to the amount not being spent?  Wait, that still sounds like what I said before.  I guess I still don’t get it.
WGroleau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-03T02:51:05.797Z
2014-03-03T02:51:05.797Z
uminatsu
<p>According to <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_Days_Destroyed" rel="nofollow">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_Days_Destroyed</a> , if I have 100 BTC for seven days and then spend them, that’s 700 days destroyed.</p>

<p>But if I didn't have them, someone else would have them.  So how does the metric differ from the amount of BTC that exists?</p>

<transactions>
How is “days destroyed” different from “amount of BTC” in existence?
WGroleau
# How is “days destroyed” different from “amount of BTC” in existence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-03)

According to <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_Days_Destroyed> , if I have 100 BTC for seven days and then spend them, that’s 700 days destroyed.

But if I didn't have them, someone else would have them. So how does the metric differ from the amount of BTC that exists?

**Tags:** transactions


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-03-03. Score: 0

Days destroyed are measured in BTC \* days
Amounts of BTC are measured in BTCs

The two concepts are as different as Power (Watts) vs Energy (Joules).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Understood.  But one is linearly proportional to the other.  So why do we need both?  With power and energy, we’re usually dealing with a subset of the set of devices or of the supply, so the difference is meaningful.  No doubt there’s some other detail I’m missing.  
> **username_1**: Not true. The UPPER BOUND of Days-destroyed is linearly proportional to the total amount of BTC in existence. But if no transactions occur, then Days-destroyed will not grow.  
> **username_0**: “no transactions occurring” is a hypothetical that will never happen.  So days destroyed correlates to the amount not being spent?  Wait, that still sounds like what I said before.  I guess I still don’t get it.  

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