What is a Bitcoin Satoshi (SAT)?
📅 Last updated: February 2026
📋 En bref (TL;DR)
- Definition: A satoshi (sat) is the smallest unit of Bitcoin — 1 satoshi = 0.00000001 BTC
- Divisibility: 1 bitcoin = 100 million satoshis, enabling transactions worth just a few cents
- Origin: Named in honor of Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s anonymous creator
- Utility: Makes Bitcoin accessible to everyone — you can invest with just $1
- Applications: Microtransactions, Lightning Network, DeFi, progressive accumulation (DCA)
- Future: With Bitcoin’s scarcity (21M max), satoshis will become the daily reference
What Is a Satoshi?
A satoshi (or “sat”) is simply the smallest possible fraction of a bitcoin. Its name comes from Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s mysterious creator.
🔢 1 bitcoin = 100,000,000 satoshis (100 million)
Since 1 bitcoin is worth tens of thousands of dollars today, we use satoshis to make amounts more readable and transactions more practical.
🔧 Simple comparison: Just as 1 dollar = 100 cents, 1 bitcoin = 100 million satoshis. This avoids saying “I have 0.000027 BTC” and instead saying: “I have 2,700 sats”.
Why Are Satoshis Useful?
Accessibility for Everyone
Not everyone can buy a whole bitcoin. But everyone can start with $1 and buy some satoshis. This makes bitcoin more inclusive and accessible to all budgets.
Microtransactions
In some cases (games, digital services, tips, donations…), amounts to send are very small. Sats allow you to pay a few cents quickly, without traditional banking fees.
Lightning Network and DeFi
Satoshis are essential for advanced technologies like:
- The Lightning Network: an ultra-fast, low-cost payment system that works in satoshis
- Decentralized finance (DeFi) on Bitcoin: lending, savings, small-amount trading
Price Psychology
Many people mistakenly think they need to buy a whole bitcoin to invest. Sats break this mental barrier. It’s simpler and more motivating to say: “I have 50,000 sats” than “I have 0.0005 BTC”.
Easy Learning
Satoshis are perfect for practicing and testing Bitcoin. Sending micro-amounts lets you learn how wallets and transactions work without risking much.
Satoshi to Bitcoin Conversion Table
Here are the most common conversions:
- 1 satoshi = 0.00000001 BTC
- 100 satoshis = 0.000001 BTC
- 1,000 satoshis = 0.00001 BTC
- 10,000 satoshis = 0.0001 BTC
- 100,000 satoshis = 0.001 BTC
- 1,000,000 satoshis = 0.01 BTC
- 10,000,000 satoshis = 0.1 BTC
- 100,000,000 satoshis = 1 BTC
💡 Tip: To convert sats to BTC, simply divide by 100 million. To convert to dollars, then multiply by the current Bitcoin price.
Why Satoshis Will Become Increasingly Important
The supply of bitcoin is limited to 21 million coins. Never more. This programmed scarcity is one of the foundations of its value.
Since each bitcoin is divisible into 100 million satoshis, this scarcity applies to sats too. There will never be more than 2.1 quadrillion satoshis (2,100,000,000,000,000).
⚡ As demand rises and Bitcoin’s price increases, satoshis become more valuable and practical for everyday transactions.
With Bitcoin’s growing adoption worldwide, satoshis allow everyone to participate in the ecosystem, even with small amounts. One day, we might well pay for coffee in sats!
Real-World Examples of Satoshi Use
💸 Microtransactions: Tip 100 sats to a content creator, pay a few cents for an online article, donate to a charity…
💳 Pricing: Instead of saying “0.0005 BTC,” you say “50,000 sats.” It’s clearer and more practical for displaying prices.
💰 Gradual Accumulation (DCA): Buying $5 or $10 of bitcoin regularly lets you accumulate sats easily, even on a small budget. This is the Dollar-Cost Averaging strategy.
🎓 Education: Sats allow you to demonstrate how a bitcoin transaction works with small amounts. Ideal for beginners who want to learn stress-free.
Where to Store Your Satoshis?
Sats are stored in a Bitcoin wallet, exactly like whole bitcoins. There are several types:
- Software wallets (hot wallets): Mobile or desktop apps, practical for daily use. Examples: BlueWallet, Muun, Phoenix (Lightning)
- Hardware wallets (cold wallets): Physical devices like Ledger or Trezor, for maximum security if you’re accumulating lots of sats
- Lightning wallets: Specialized for instant satoshi payments. Examples: Wallet of Satoshi, Strike
✅ Good news: 1 bitcoin or 1 satoshi are stored exactly the same way!
Summary
Satoshis make Bitcoin simpler, more accessible, and more practical. They allow everyone, even with just a few dollars, to join the crypto ecosystem and start accumulating Bitcoin.
With Bitcoin’s growing adoption and the development of the Lightning Network, sats will likely become the daily currency of millions of people.
So, ready to stack your first sats? 🚀
📚 Glossary
- Bitcoin : The first decentralized cryptocurrency, created in 2009. Each bitcoin is divisible into 100 million satoshis.
- Satoshi Nakamoto : Pseudonym of Bitcoin’s anonymous creator. Satoshis are named in their honor.
- Satoshi (sat) : The smallest unit of Bitcoin. 1 satoshi = 0.00000001 BTC = one hundred-millionth of a bitcoin.
- Lightning Network : A “layer 2” payment network enabling instant, near-free Bitcoin transactions, ideal for satoshi payments.
- DeFi : Decentralized Finance — financial services (lending, trading, savings) operating on blockchain without intermediaries.
- Wallet : Digital wallet for storing, sending, and receiving bitcoins/satoshis. Can be software or hardware.
- DCA : Dollar-Cost Averaging — investment strategy of regularly buying the same amount regardless of price.
- Microtransaction : Very small transaction, made possible by satoshis and the Lightning Network.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is 1 satoshi worth in dollars?
A satoshi’s value depends on Bitcoin’s price. To calculate: divide the Bitcoin price by 100 million. For example, if 1 BTC = $80,000, then 1 satoshi = $0.0008 (less than a tenth of a cent). 10,000 sats = $8.
How do I buy satoshis?
You buy satoshis exactly like you buy Bitcoin — on an exchange or through an app. You can invest any amount, even $1. Your balance will be displayed in BTC or sats depending on the application.
Can you divide a satoshi?
No, the satoshi is the indivisible unit of Bitcoin on the main blockchain. However, on the Lightning Network, it’s possible to handle fractions of a satoshi called “millisatoshis” (1/1000th of a sat) for microtransactions.
Why do people say 'stacking sats'?
“Stacking sats” is a popular expression in the Bitcoin community meaning to gradually accumulate satoshis. It’s the idea of regularly investing small amounts (DCA) to build your Bitcoin capital over the long term.
What's the difference between a satoshi and bitcoin?
They’re the same thing, just a matter of scale! A satoshi is a fraction of bitcoin: 1 BTC = 100,000,000 sats. It’s like the difference between a dollar and a cent, except the ratio is 1 to 100 million.
📰 Sources
This article is based on the following sources:
Comment citer cet article : Fibo Crypto. (2026). What is a Bitcoin Satoshi (SAT)?. Consulté le 4 February 2026 sur https://fibo-crypto.fr/en/blog/what-is-a-bitcoin-satoshi-sat
