
Bitcoin to adopt a finite coin supply. - nullc
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0042.mediawiki
======
maaku
For those confused, here's a great summary explanation from user lifeboatz on
Reddit (do read the BIP though, it's funny):

""" Since these BIPs can be confusing, I'll explain. The way the block reward
halving is implemented, the reward is calculated by taking 50 and bit-shifting
it to the right by a certain number, which is the block number (height)
divided by 210000.

So at Block 210000, the bit shift is 1, effectively dividing the block reward
by 2, to 25.

At Block 420000, the bit shift is 2, effectively dividing the block reward by
4, to 12.5.

This works great up to 63. But since there's no specification in C++ as to
what to do if you take a 64-bit number and shift it 64 bits, it's undefined.

And what happens on many C++ compilers is that they just pass that decision on
to the hardware to define it. And in the case of the most popular PC and
server equipment, what the hardware does is it doesn't even look at the high
order bits of the shifting amount.... so 64 = 0, 65 = 1, 66 = 2, etc.

This means that at block number 210000*64, the block reward is currently
programmed to be 50 again. Oops.

This is an urgent situation that should be addressed within the next 200
years! If miners are alive who could benefit from this, they may not want to
change it. """

[http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/21ynmv/bitcoin_shou...](http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/21ynmv/bitcoin_should_adopt_a_noninfinite_coin_supply/cghpxiv)

~~~
nbody
A Schrodinger's bug

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bct
This is a pretty amusing way to document a bug.

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nullc
Mailing list discussion:
[http://sourceforge.net/p/bitcoin/mailman/message/32174171/](http://sourceforge.net/p/bitcoin/mailman/message/32174171/)

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wavesounds
"This poses obvious problems, however. Prominent among them is the discussion
on what to call 1 billion Bitcoin, which symbol color to use for it, and when
wallet clients should switch to it by default.

To combat this, this document proposes a controversial change: making
Bitcoin's monetary supply finite."

Haha April fools! ... I hope?

~~~
maaku
Nope!

[https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/3842](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/3842)

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gfunk911
I thought the supply of bitcoins was already finite by design, at around 21
million

~~~
nullc
Read the page.

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broolstoryco
This is an april fools joke. Im really getting sick of them.

~~~
nullc
Kinda. Its actually completely earnest, but just presented in a silly way. The
april fools joke is that its not a joke.

