Bytecoin (BCN) Technical documentation

Bytecoin Technical Reference

This page brings together the main protocol parameters, emission model, daemon interfaces, and reference materials used when running, integrating, or researching the Bytecoin network. It is designed as a quick technical entry point for node operators, wallet developers, and infrastructure maintainers.

Consensus CryptoNight
Block Time 120 sec
Decimals 8 places
Supply Unit Atomic Units

Core Specifications

These are the base network properties most often referenced in wallet logic, explorer integrations, and node monitoring.

Protocol Parameters

  • Proof-of-work algorithm: CryptoNight
  • Target block time: 120 seconds
  • Difficulty retargeting: every block
  • Currency divisibility: 10^8 atomic units per BCN
  • Theoretical total supply base: 2^64 - 1 atomic units
  • Commonly cited supply scale: about 184.46 billion BCN

Operational Notes

  • Node synchronization state should always be checked before exposing RPC to wallets.
  • Remote public nodes improve convenience but reduce trust and privacy.
  • Wallet and node RPC interfaces should be separated operationally where possible.
  • Storage requirements grow over time, so leave free space beyond the current chain size.
  • Production deployments should monitor block height, peers, and RPC response times continuously.

Emission Model

Bytecoin emission decreases over time as the amount of already generated coins increases. This is the core reward relation commonly cited in Bytecoin documentation.

BaseReward = (MSupply - A) / 218

Formula Terms

  • MSupply = 2^64 - 1 atomic units
  • A = amount of already generated coins
  • Reward decreases as A grows toward maximum supply
  • Reward values are calculated in atomic units before wallet conversion

Implementation Implications

  • Explorers and analytics tools should convert atomic units carefully to avoid display errors.
  • Wallet balances and fee logic should preserve full integer precision internally.
  • Emission and supply charts should use chain-derived values rather than hand-maintained totals.
When documenting supply, it is better to distinguish between atomic units, whole BCN display units, and circulating or emitted supply observed from chain data.

Daemon and API References

Most Bytecoin integrations rely on JSON-RPC. The two most common surfaces are the wallet daemon API and the node daemon API.

Wallet Daemon API

  • Create and manage addresses
  • Query balances and transaction history
  • Build and submit transfers
  • Integrate wallet operations into external services
  • Open wallet daemon API documentation

Node Daemon API

  • Query sync status, peers, and top block height
  • Inspect blockchain and mempool state
  • Support monitoring dashboards and explorers
  • Expose infrastructure health data for automation
  • Open node daemon API documentation
POST /json_rpc { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "0", "method": "get_status", "params": {} }

Developer Resources

These references are the most useful starting points for protocol research, code navigation, and ecosystem tooling work.

Primary Sources

Recommended Coverage

  • Track consensus parameters and serialization assumptions in one place.
  • Document RPC compatibility expectations between wallet and node versions.
  • Note storage layout, bootstrap import steps, and sync troubleshooting for operators.
  • Keep example RPC requests and expected response fields up to date.

What This Documentation Covers

This page now covers protocol basics and reference links, but a complete technical documentation set should also include installation, bootstrap usage, common RPC examples, error handling, and deployment guidance for public infrastructure.