Storage of Bitcoin values with precision: a guide for MySQL and types of floating points data
As the value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin continues to increase and descend, it is essential to have a solid understanding of how to store data with precision. In this article, we will explore the limits of floating commas data in storage of Bitcoin values and suggest alternative solutions using MySQL.
The problem with floats: precision problems
Floating commas types (such as “Float” and “Double”) are commonly used in financial applications, including cryptocurrency transactions. However, they have important limits when it comes to storing large sums of money such as Bitcoins. A major problem is precision – even the smallest value can exceed the maximum representable beach of a floating comma number.
For example, the current Bitcoin block size limit (51 MB) is defined by the work -proof consensus algorithm. According to specifications of the Bitcoin protocol, each block should not be greater than 1 MB of total size. If we use floats to store this value, we can easily exceed the limit, causing data loss and potentially leading to corruption.
The case of decimal data types
To mitigate these problems, the types of decimal data (such as “decimal” are often used in financial applications with large sums of money. A “decimal” field allows us to store values with a specific number of figures after the Decimal point, ensuring that we do not exceed the maximum representable beach.
In MySQL, you can create a decimal column using the following syntax:
`Sql
Create table portfolios (
ID int primary key,
decimal balance (18, 8) by default 0.0
));
'
Here, "decimal (18, 8)" represents a field with 18 digits after the decimal point and 8 front digits (that is to say two decimal). The default clause 0.0 defines the initial value of the column at 0.
Alternative solutions: Other types of data
Although “decimal” is an excellent choice to store Bitcoin values, this is not the only option. Here are some types of alternative data that you can consider:
* Big Intier (Bigint)
: similar to Decimal, but uses a whole format with fixed width instead of floating comma numbers.
`Sql
Create table portfolios (
ID int primary key,
balance Bigint by default 0
));
'
* binary_float : a type of binary data that represents floating comma numbers in a compact form. However, it is always subject to the same precision problems as floating comma numbers.
Sql
Create table portfolios (
ID int primary key,
binary balance_float
));
'
* Numeric : similar to "decimal", but uses a whole format with fixed width instead of decimal.
Conclusion
Storage of Bitcoin values in a MySQL database using decimal, bigints or binary data types with floating comma can be a good solution for most use cases. However, if you need more precision or do not bother to sacrifice certain performance, consider exploring alternative solutions such as large parts or digital data types.
Do not forget to always test your in -depth design and consider the specific requirements of your application before deploying it in production.
Example of use cases
Here is an example of how you can store a Bitcoin wallet balance using MySQL:
Sql
Insert in wallets (id, balance)
Values (1, 10.00000000);
'
In this example, we create a new recording with anID 1 and a “balance” of 10.0 BTC, which is stored in the ‘decimal column (18, 8)’.
Using decimal or other types of data, you can make sure that your Bitcoin portfolio values are represented with precision and stored in your MySQL database.