Networks and tokens

Token decimals

Also called: Base units, Smallest unit

How many decimal places a token uses; on-chain amounts are whole numbers of the smallest unit, so 1 USDT with 6 decimals is 1,000,000 units.

Blockchains don't store fractions. A token defines a number of decimals, and every amount is a whole number of its smallest unit. 25.50 USDT with 6 decimals is 25500000. ETH has 18 decimals (its smallest unit is the wei); BTC has 8 (the satoshi).

Decimals differ even for the same coin on different networks. USDT has 6 decimals on Ethereum and Tron, but 18 on BNB Chain. Code that assumes one value will send the wrong amount, sometimes by a factor of a trillion.

Handling amounts safely

  • Keep amounts as whole numbers of base units, or as exact decimal strings. Never as floating-point numbers, which can't represent many decimals exactly.
  • Look up decimals per token, per network.
  • Convert only at the edges: when showing amounts to people and when reading their input.

On Valtu

API amounts are whole numbers of the smallest unit. assets.toBaseUnits and fromBaseUnits in the wallet kit, and to_base_units and from_base_units in the Python SDK, convert exactly and refuse floats. Each coin page shows its decimals.

Related terms

Keep reading.

Contract addressThe address of a token's smart contract, its true identity; the name and symbol can be copied by anyone, the contract address can't. ERC-20The standard interface for fungible tokens on Ethereum and other EVM networks; USDT, USDC, DAI and LINK on Ethereum are ERC-20 tokens. BEP-20The name for ERC-20-style tokens on BNB Chain; same interface and address format as Ethereum, with fees paid in BNB. USDTTether's US-dollar stablecoin, issued separately on Tron, Ethereum, BNB Chain and other networks; the most widely used stablecoin.

More in networks and tokens: Confirmations · Finality · Chain reorganization · Mempool · Block explorer · Testnet · EVM · Layer 2 · Smart contract · TRC-20 · Stablecoin · USDC · Wrapped token. The whole glossary.

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