By far the most commonly used symbol for Bitcoin is [[:{{ns:File}}:Btc-sans.png|{{BTC}}]], a capital letter '''B''' with two vertical lines "going through" it, though the lines are only visible at the top and bottom. This symbol was created by [[Satoshi Nakamoto]] for the icon of an early version of the [[reference client|original Bitcoin client]], though the very first versions of the Bitcoin client used "BC" instead of any special symbol. Presumably the symbol was intended to look similar to other currency symbols. The symbol represents the currency [[Units|unit]] "bitcoin" (100 million [[Satoshi (unit)|satoshi]]), as well as the Bitcoin network and currency itself. The bitcoin currency unit is also commonly given the informal currency code '''BTC'''.
[[File:Btc-sans.png|thumb|128px|The prevailing Bitcoin symbol]]By far the most commonly used symbol for Bitcoin is [[:{{ns:File}}:Btc-sans.png|{{BTC}}]], a capital letter '''B''' with two falling strokes at the top and bottom. This symbol was designed by [[Satoshi Nakamoto]] for the icon of an early version of the [[reference client|original Bitcoin client]], though the very first versions of the Bitcoin client used "BC" instead of any special symbol. Presumably the symbol was intended to look similar to other currency symbols. The symbol represents the currency [[Units|unit]] "bitcoin" (100 million [[Satoshi (unit)|satoshi]]), as well as the Bitcoin network and currency itself. The bitcoin currency unit is also commonly given the informal currency code '''BTC'''.
The Bitcoin sign is part of Unicode 10.0 (released June 2017)<ref name="uc">http://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode10.0.0/</ref> with code point U+20BF (₿). As of June 2017, font support for the Bitcoin sign is in macOS Sierra, iOS, Android O [https://developer.android.com/preview/download.html beta], Windows 10 [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/instantanswers/d4efb316-79f0-1aa1-9ef3-dcada78f3fa0/get-the-windows-10-creators-update Creators Update] and several Linux releases. After being rejected in 2011,<ref>http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11129-bitcoin.pdf</ref> the Bitcoin sign was accepted for Unicode in November 2015<ref>https://twitter.com/ken_lunde/status/661351862155669506</ref> and first appeared in Unicode 10.0 in 2017.<ref name="uc"/>
Historically, similar looking Unicode symbols such as the Thai Baht (฿) have been used because the Unicode standard at the time had not included a symbol for Bitcoin. The capital letter B with stroke (Ƀ) was also used in contexts where it was likely that using the Baht symbol would cause confusion.
== Currency code ==
== Currency code ==
The [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/ISO_4217 ISO 4217 currency code] for Bitcoin is '''XBT'''. However, at the moment it is an [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/ISO_4217#Without_currency_code unofficial code] according to the ISO 4217 standard. The unit name '''BTC''' is also commonly used to represent one bitcoin, but it violates ISO 4217 because it begins with "BT", the country code of Bhutan. Bhutan does not actually use the code BTC for any currency, and XBT has not yet defined which unit it represents (just that it represents ''some'' unit of bitcoin), so the Bitcoin community is likely to continue using mainly BTC as a unit name and currency code for some time.
The [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/ISO_4217 ISO 4217 currency code] for Bitcoin is '''XBT'''. However, at the moment it is an [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/ISO_4217#Without_currency_code unofficial code] according to the ISO 4217 standard. The unit name '''BTC''' is also commonly used to represent one bitcoin, but it violates ISO 4217 because it begins with "BT", the country code of Bhutan. Bhutan does not actually use the code BTC for any currency, and XBT has not yet defined which unit it represents (just that it represents ''some'' unit of bitcoin), so the Bitcoin community is likely to continue using mainly BTC as a unit name and currency code for some time.
A [http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-foundation-standardise-bitcoin-symbol-code-next-year/ formal application] by the Financial Standards Working Group of the [[Bitcoin Foundation]] is nearing completion <sup>[still true?]</sup>. This application would request ISO 4217 standard to support XBT.
A [http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-foundation-standardise-bitcoin-symbol-code-next-year/ formal application] by the Financial Standards Working Group of the [[Bitcoin Foundation]] is nearing completion.<sup>[still true?]</sup> This application would request ISO 4217 standard to support XBT.
== Currency Sign ==
{{BTC}} <sup>(here rendered using a webfont -- you will see "BTC" if your browser does not support webfonts)</sup> has been the standard currency sign for BTC for a long time. This symbol can ''sort of'' be represented using existing Unicode features as (B⃦), but this symbol is completely broken on many devices/browsers, and ''at best'' it looks quite off. Some existing Unicode symbols have been proposed as alternatives, but also serious work is being done on creating a custom Bitcoin sign with its own official [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Unicode Unicode] that is recognized by the [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Unicode_Consortium Unicode Consortium]. Note that creating an official currency sign is more complex than creating a logo as will be explained below.
[[File:Example-unicode-reference-currency-signs.png|256px|thumb|right|Examples of Unicode currency sign reference glyphs]]
=== New Unicode symbol ===
{{outdated|section}}
In some discussions on topics [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41.0 41], [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=369.0 369] and [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=7215.0 7215] on the Bitcoin Forum several designs of an official Bitcoin sign have been proposed. This section on the Wiki is intended to streamline the process of arriving at an official Bitcoin currency sign with its own Unicode character code.
In November 2015, '''U+20BF''' was selected to be the code point of the bitcoin sign in Unicode. <ref>https://twitter.com/ken_lunde/status/661351862155669506</ref>
==== Goal ====
Having a unique Bitcoin currency sign will allow typographers to add their currency sign design in their fonts. This is similar to implementing support for the euro sign. Each font has its own version of the euro sign that fits with the style observed in the characters in the rest of the fonts of their typefaces. Note that the Unicode Consortium does not endorse Bitcoin in any way by assigning a Unicode character code, however, by having an official Unicode Bitcoin's perception of legitimacy will increase.
==== Requirements and criteria ====
A reference Bitcoin sign could/should/must be:
* recognizable as a [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Currency_sign currency sign] such as $ € ¥ £ ¢ (e.g. with one or two vertical or horizontal bars)
* distinct from existing currency signs such as the Thai Baht, ฿
* built from recognizable existing characters found on most [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Keyboard_layout#United_States QWERTY keyboards] such as bar |, minus -, hash # and/or capital B referring to currencies and '''B'''itcoin
* easy to use in handwriting
* easy to compose with one or more [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GtkComposeTable#The%20Gtk%20Compose%20Table compose sequences] that are still free and refer to the elements recognizable in the sign (for example the euro sign can be composed from = and C even though the = and C are not part of how it is pronounced)
* ''possible'' to implement in [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Serif serif and sans-serif] (Most of the [http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U20A0.pdf Unicode reference implementations] are made with serifs but sans-serif also exist in sans-serif fonts. So a reference implementation in serif to what is found in the PDF is preferred.)
* ''possible'' to implement in regular, italic, bold and bold italic (for sans-serif the italic will simply be a slanted version)
* in [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/SVG SVG] and use this [http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=FVY8W1W3 template] (save as <tt>bitcoin-sign-20110719-template.svg</tt>) with updated metadata and public domain or similar free/open/libre license
Note that a reference Bitcoin sign will only be used as a reference by the Unicode Consortium and it is up to typographers to implement their version matching the style of their typefaces and fonts.
==== Submissions====
It is possible to submit proposals for a '''reference implementation''' below.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Preview !! Handwritten !! Associations !! Compose sequence(s) !! Designer !! Link to SVG file !! Notes
|| proposal based on original design idea from [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41.msg348274#msg348274 RylandAlmanza] and [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=25102.msg325489#msg325489 netrin]
|}
=== Existing Unicode symbol ===
There is a discussion over [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=369.0 which Unicode symbol might be the best suited] for Bitcoin.
To type Unicode characters, refer to:
* [[Microsoft Windows Unicode Input]]
* [[How to easily type the circled B symbol on a Mac]]
It has led to the following options:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Proposed character !! Description & Pros & Cons !! Unicode name !! Unicode decimal input !! Unicode hex input
|-
|<center><big>B⃦</big></center>||
*Pros: Similar to current bitcoin.org logo
* Cons: Displays poorly on some systems
|| LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B + COMBINING DOUBLE VERTICAL STROKE OVERLAY || || U+0042 U+20E6
|-
|<center><big>฿</big></center> ||
* Pros: Displayed correctly on all known OSes
* Cons: It is already used as the Thai Baht (THB) symbol but the $ is also shared by many currencies
|| THAI CURRENCY SYMBOL BAHT || || Alt +0E3F
|-
|<center><big>Ƀ</big></center>||
*Pros: Standard Latin Extended-B character; [http://www.ecogex.com/bitcoin/ See the project Ƀ Another Bitcoin identity]
*Cons: Does not display on modern Android devices
|| LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B WITH STROKE || ||Alt +0243
|-
|<center><big>ᗸ</big></center>|| Resembles the struck B while being different from Baht symbol ||CANADIAN SYLLABICS CARRIER KHEE || || Alt +15F8
|-
|<center><big>B⃫</big></center>||
|| LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B + COMBINING LONG DOUBLE SOLIDUS OVERLAY || || U+0042 U+20EB
|-
|<center><big>Ⓑ</big></center>||
*Pros: Similar to current bitcoin.org logo
|| CIRCLED LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B || || Alt +24B7
|-
|<center><big>ⓑ</big></center>||
*Pros: Small b represent the unit bit in computer where capital B is Byte
* Cons: Small fonts are harder to read
|| CIRCLED LATIN SMALL LETTER B || ||Alt +24D1
|-
|<center><big>ᴃ</big></center>|| || LATIN LETTER SMALL CAPITAL BARRED B || ||Alt +1D03
|-
|<center><big>␢</big></center>|| || (Unicode Block: Control Pictures) BLANK SYMBOL (graphic for space) || || Alt +2422
|-
|<center><big>β</big></center>||
*Pros: Fluid look and easy to write; Lowercase<br/>
*Cons: Languages that use this character don't consider it a B. in Greek it's a V, and the German character it resembles is a hard S.
|| GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA || ||Alt +03B2
|-
|<center><big>∆</big></center>|| delta for "digital" || Greek capital Delta. (In Greek it's pronounced as the "th" in "then" and not like "d" in "digital". || || U+0394
|-
|<center><big>ɸ</big></center>|| contains 0 and I || Greek small Phi || || U+0278
|-
|<center><big>币</big></center>|| pronounced "bi", combines "b", turned "c" and "T", many Chinese users, also 网民币 - Wangminbi, "The Netizen's Currency" (pun on Renminbi) || Chinese for "Currency" || || U+5E01
In lieu of the Bitcoin symbol being included in the Unicode standard and its adoption into typographic fonts, {{BTC}} can be included in many documents by other means. This section focuses on online publications but the basic concepts apply to all publishing forms.
In lieu of the Bitcoin symbol being included in the Unicode standard and its adoption into typographic fonts, {{BTC}} can be included in many documents by other means. This section focuses on online publications but the basic concepts apply to all publishing forms.
A package including a high resolution raster image with transparency (PNG), vector image (SVG) and TrueType font (TTF) is available<ref>http://www.filedropper.com/bitcoinsymbol</ref>
==== Image ====
==== Image ====
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Line 34:
==== Font ====
==== Font ====
As few fonts include the Bitcoin symbol, a special font was created by [[User:Theymos]], originally for the [[BitcoinTalk]] forum<ref>https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=88647</ref>. The font consists of ''only'' the Bitcoin symbol used in the glyph for the capital letter B. The text "BTC" can be entered and styled with this font, causing it to be replaced entirely with just the symbol on those systems that support this font, while on other systems the text "BTC" is retained. Similarly, copying and pasting text will still retain "BTC". This method is used on BitcoinTalk and this Bitcoin Wiki.
As few fonts include the Bitcoin symbol, a special font was created by [[User:Theymos|Theymos]], originally for the [[BitcoinTalk]] forum.<ref>https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=88647</ref> The font consists of only the Bitcoin symbol ({{BTC}}) used in the glyph for the capital letter B. The text "BTC" can be entered and styled with this font, causing it to be replaced entirely with just the symbol on those systems that support this font, while on other systems the text "BTC" is retained. Similarly, copying and pasting text will still retain "BTC". This method is used on BitcoinTalk and the Bitcoin Wiki.
Sample HTML code:
Sample HTML code:
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Line 44:
* [[Promotional graphics]]
* [[Promotional graphics]]
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Introduction]]
[[Category:Introduction]]
Latest revision as of 15:52, 25 April 2019
The prevailing Bitcoin symbol
By far the most commonly used symbol for Bitcoin is ₿, a capital letter B with two falling strokes at the top and bottom. This symbol was designed by Satoshi Nakamoto for the icon of an early version of the original Bitcoin client, though the very first versions of the Bitcoin client used "BC" instead of any special symbol. Presumably the symbol was intended to look similar to other currency symbols. The symbol represents the currency unit "bitcoin" (100 million satoshi), as well as the Bitcoin network and currency itself. The bitcoin currency unit is also commonly given the informal currency code BTC.
The Bitcoin sign is part of Unicode 10.0 (released June 2017)[1] with code point U+20BF (₿). As of June 2017, font support for the Bitcoin sign is in macOS Sierra, iOS, Android O beta, Windows 10 Creators Update and several Linux releases. After being rejected in 2011,[2] the Bitcoin sign was accepted for Unicode in November 2015[3] and first appeared in Unicode 10.0 in 2017.[1]
Historically, similar looking Unicode symbols such as the Thai Baht (฿) have been used because the Unicode standard at the time had not included a symbol for Bitcoin. The capital letter B with stroke (Ƀ) was also used in contexts where it was likely that using the Baht symbol would cause confusion.
The ISO 4217 currency code for Bitcoin is XBT. However, at the moment it is an unofficial code according to the ISO 4217 standard. The unit name BTC is also commonly used to represent one bitcoin, but it violates ISO 4217 because it begins with "BT", the country code of Bhutan. Bhutan does not actually use the code BTC for any currency, and XBT has not yet defined which unit it represents (just that it represents some unit of bitcoin), so the Bitcoin community is likely to continue using mainly BTC as a unit name and currency code for some time.
A formal application by the Financial Standards Working Group of the Bitcoin Foundation is nearing completion.[still true?] This application would request ISO 4217 standard to support XBT.
Inserting the symbol
In lieu of the Bitcoin symbol being included in the Unicode standard and its adoption into typographic fonts, ₿ can be included in many documents by other means. This section focuses on online publications but the basic concepts apply to all publishing forms.
Image
The Bitcoin symbol can be inserted as an image, as is done in the opening sentence of this page. The benefit of this method is that any client that can display images in line with text will be able to display the symbol. The down side to this method is that as an image, it does not always degrade as nicely as a font. If using raster image, scaling the image up/down (to fit with surrounding text) may result in pixelation, inappropriate filtering, and other issues typical of raster images. If using a vector image, scaling concerns do not apply but the display would still not benefit from font-specific rendering features such as hinting. Both forms also suffer from client-specific considerations such as whether or not a box will be drawn around the image and the general inability to easily style its display; applying color requires specific CSS, and italicizing would require a CSS skew transform, for example.
When using an image in running text on a webpage it's generally a good idea to set the alt property to an appropriate value. For example, when depicting amounts you might use alt="BTC". Text including the symbol copied and pasted will then remain syntactically correct, replacing the symbol with BTC.
As few fonts include the Bitcoin symbol, a special font was created by Theymos, originally for the BitcoinTalk forum.[5] The font consists of only the Bitcoin symbol (₿) used in the glyph for the capital letter B. The text "BTC" can be entered and styled with this font, causing it to be replaced entirely with just the symbol on those systems that support this font, while on other systems the text "BTC" is retained. Similarly, copying and pasting text will still retain "BTC". This method is used on BitcoinTalk and the Bitcoin Wiki.
