<p>Below the target value that corresponds to the bits field in the block.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-14T12:01:27.353Z
So the Bits field is ultimately a short (and slightly less accurate) representation of the Target, just for the purposes of having a representation of the Target in the block header?
inersha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-14T13:30:09.040Z
Also, I'm assuming Bits is always rounded up?
inersha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-14T11:32:11.717Z
2016-04-14T11:32:11.717Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>You get a specific Target value when you divide the maximum Target by the Difficulty.</p>

<p>But when you convert the Target in to the Bits format, you're only taking the first 3 bytes of the Target and losing some accuracy.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<pre><code>Difficulty: 166851513282.78

Original Target: 0x696f3ffffffe0c000000000000000000000000000000000
Target -&gt; Bits: 0x180696f4
Bits -&gt; Target:  0x696f4000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
</code></pre>

<p>So when a Miner is trying to get a low enough hash value for the block, are they trying to get below the <strong>Bits</strong> value or the <strong>Target</strong> value?</p>

<difficulty><mining-technical-details>
Do Miners have to get below the Target or the Bits value?
inersha
# Do Miners have to get below the Target or the Bits value?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-14)

You get a specific Target value when you divide the maximum Target by the Difficulty.
But when you convert the Target in to the Bits format, you're only taking the first 3 bytes of the Target and losing some accuracy.
For example:
Difficulty: 166851513282.78

Original Target: 0x696f3ffffffe0c000000000000000000000000000000000
Target -> Bits: 0x180696f4
Bits -> Target:  0x696f4000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

So when a Miner is trying to get a low enough hash value for the block, are they trying to get below the Bits value or the Target value?

**Tags:** difficulty, mining-technical-details


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-04-14. Score: 2

Below the target value that corresponds to the bits field in the block.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So the Bits field is ultimately a short (and slightly less accurate) representation of the Target, just for the purposes of having a representation of the Target in the block header?  
> **username_0**: Also, I'm assuming Bits is always rounded up?  

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