{
  "$schema": "https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/schemas/article-v1.json",
  "schemaVersion": "1.0.0",
  "id": "bitcoin-fee-rate",
  "canonical": "https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/bitcoin-fee-rate/",
  "collection": "bitcoin",
  "title": "Bitcoin fee rates: sat/vB versus the total fee",
  "description": "Calculate a Bitcoin fee from virtual size and sat/vB, and distinguish a rate estimate from the amount actually paid or a promised confirmation time.",
  "aliases": [
    "sat per vbyte",
    "sat/vB"
  ],
  "dates": {
    "published": "2026-10-02",
    "modified": "2026-10-02",
    "verified": "2026-10-02T18:15:23.891Z",
    "dataAsOf": "2026-10-02"
  },
  "authorship": {
    "publisher": "Degrees of Satoshi editorial project",
    "process": "AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied."
  },
  "quickAnswer": {
    "text": "A Bitcoin fee rate measures fee paid per unit of transaction size, commonly satoshis per virtual byte. The total fee is the difference between input and output values. An estimated fee rate can inform a target, but it does not guarantee inclusion within a particular number of blocks.",
    "claimId": "bitcoin-fee-rate-quick-answer",
    "sourceIds": [
      "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt",
      "bitcoin-dev-transactions",
      "bip141"
    ]
  },
  "keyFacts": [
    {
      "label": "Total fee",
      "value": "Total input value minus total output value.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "bitcoin-dev-transactions"
      ],
      "id": "total-fee",
      "claimId": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-total-fee"
    },
    {
      "label": "Rate",
      "value": "Total fee in satoshis divided by virtual size gives sat/vB.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "bip141",
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ],
      "id": "rate",
      "claimId": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-rate"
    },
    {
      "label": "Units",
      "value": "1 BTC per 1,000 vbytes equals 100,000 sat/vB.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ],
      "id": "units",
      "claimId": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-units"
    }
  ],
  "prerequisites": [
    "bitcoin-virtual-size"
  ],
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "example",
      "heading": "A small calculation prevents a large unit mistake",
      "sourceIds": [
        "bip141",
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ],
      "paragraphs": [
        "An illustrative 200-vbyte transaction at 8 sat/vB targets 1,600 satoshis in fees. The same rate on a 400-vbyte transaction targets 3,200 satoshis. The rate is equal; the total cost is not.",
        "Conversely, paying 2,000 satoshis on 200 vbytes gives 10 sat/vB, while paying 2,000 on 400 vbytes gives 5 sat/vB. Comparing total fees alone can therefore be misleading."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "rpc",
      "heading": "Read field names and units carefully",
      "sourceIds": [
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ],
      "paragraphs": [
        "The cited Bitcoin Core 29.0 RPC distinguishes fee_rate in sat/vB from feeRate in BTC/kvB. The units differ by a factor of 100,000. A software integration should convert explicitly and reject an ambiguous input.",
        "A wallet’s final fee can also change when coin selection or change construction changes the virtual size. Inspect the funded result, not only the requested rate."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "estimate",
      "heading": "A target is not a booking",
      "sourceIds": [
        "bitcoin-dev-transactions",
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ],
      "paragraphs": [
        "Fee estimation responds to observed transaction conditions and a desired confirmation target. Future arrivals and miner choices remain uncertain. A higher rate improves one part of the incentive but does not create a reservation.",
        "For an unconfirmed transaction, consider the wallet’s replacement or child-spend options rather than treating a previous fee estimate as a promise."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "Is the fee a percentage of the bitcoin I send?",
      "answer": "No. The transaction fee is primarily a size-and-rate calculation, although the selected inputs and outputs must contain enough value to fund it.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "bitcoin-dev-transactions",
        "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": "bitcoin-fee-rate-quick-answer",
      "articleSlug": "bitcoin-fee-rate",
      "statement": "A Bitcoin fee rate measures fee paid per unit of transaction size, commonly satoshis per virtual byte. The total fee is the difference between input and output values. An estimated fee rate can inform a target, but it does not guarantee inclusion within a particular number of blocks.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "source-a8abe4366f2656ba",
        "source-b282fdecc069b74d",
        "source-896e868816ad19d1"
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      "sourceLocators": [
        {
          "sourceId": "source-a8abe4366f2656ba",
          "locator": "Arguments and result fields"
        },
        {
          "sourceId": "source-b282fdecc069b74d",
          "locator": "P2PKH Script Validation; Transaction Fees And Change"
        },
        {
          "sourceId": "source-896e868816ad19d1",
          "locator": "Block size; Transaction size"
        }
      ],
      "scope": {
        "collection": "bitcoin",
        "dataAsOf": "2026-10-02",
        "blockHeight": null
      },
      "qualification": "",
      "evidenceStatus": "documented",
      "verification": {
        "status": "verified",
        "method": "independent automated source review",
        "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T18:15:23.891Z",
        "reviewer": "Independent automated verification agent verify_bitcoin_stablecoins_100",
        "notes": [
          "Verified input-output fee definition, BIP-141 size definition and RPC sat/vB versus BTC/kvB distinction. Unit conversion is 100,000 sat/vB per BTC/kvB.",
          "Recomputed both size/rate examples and inverses. Confirmation estimates and miner choice remain explicitly uncertain."
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-total-fee",
      "articleSlug": "bitcoin-fee-rate",
      "statement": "Total fee: Total input value minus total output value.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "source-b282fdecc069b74d"
      ],
      "sourceLocators": [
        {
          "sourceId": "source-b282fdecc069b74d",
          "locator": "P2PKH Script Validation; Transaction Fees And Change"
        }
      ],
      "scope": {
        "collection": "bitcoin",
        "dataAsOf": "2026-10-02",
        "blockHeight": null
      },
      "qualification": "",
      "evidenceStatus": "documented",
      "verification": {
        "status": "verified",
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        "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T18:15:23.891Z",
        "reviewer": "Independent automated verification agent verify_bitcoin_stablecoins_100",
        "notes": [
          "Verified input-output fee definition, BIP-141 size definition and RPC sat/vB versus BTC/kvB distinction. Unit conversion is 100,000 sat/vB per BTC/kvB.",
          "Recomputed both size/rate examples and inverses. Confirmation estimates and miner choice remain explicitly uncertain."
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-rate",
      "articleSlug": "bitcoin-fee-rate",
      "statement": "Rate: Total fee in satoshis divided by virtual size gives sat/vB.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "source-896e868816ad19d1",
        "source-a8abe4366f2656ba"
      ],
      "sourceLocators": [
        {
          "sourceId": "source-896e868816ad19d1",
          "locator": "Block size; Transaction size"
        },
        {
          "sourceId": "source-a8abe4366f2656ba",
          "locator": "Arguments and result fields"
        }
      ],
      "scope": {
        "collection": "bitcoin",
        "dataAsOf": "2026-10-02",
        "blockHeight": null
      },
      "qualification": "",
      "evidenceStatus": "documented",
      "verification": {
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        "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T18:15:23.891Z",
        "reviewer": "Independent automated verification agent verify_bitcoin_stablecoins_100",
        "notes": [
          "Verified input-output fee definition, BIP-141 size definition and RPC sat/vB versus BTC/kvB distinction. Unit conversion is 100,000 sat/vB per BTC/kvB.",
          "Recomputed both size/rate examples and inverses. Confirmation estimates and miner choice remain explicitly uncertain."
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "bitcoin-fee-rate-fact-units",
      "articleSlug": "bitcoin-fee-rate",
      "statement": "Units: 1 BTC per 1,000 vbytes equals 100,000 sat/vB.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "source-a8abe4366f2656ba"
      ],
      "sourceLocators": [
        {
          "sourceId": "source-a8abe4366f2656ba",
          "locator": "Arguments and result fields"
        }
      ],
      "scope": {
        "collection": "bitcoin",
        "dataAsOf": "2026-10-02",
        "blockHeight": null
      },
      "qualification": "",
      "evidenceStatus": "documented",
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        "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T18:15:23.891Z",
        "reviewer": "Independent automated verification agent verify_bitcoin_stablecoins_100",
        "notes": [
          "Verified input-output fee definition, BIP-141 size definition and RPC sat/vB versus BTC/kvB distinction. Unit conversion is 100,000 sat/vB per BTC/kvB.",
          "Recomputed both size/rate examples and inverses. Confirmation estimates and miner choice remain explicitly uncertain."
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "core-walletcreatefundedpsbt",
      "label": "walletcreatefundedpsbt RPC",
      "publisher": "Bitcoin Core",
      "url": "https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/29.0.0/rpc/wallet/walletcreatefundedpsbt/",
      "locator": "Arguments and result fields",
      "note": "Input selection, fee units, change output, selected inputs and transaction funding.",
      "version": "Bitcoin Core 29.0.0 RPC",
      "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T17:03:40.827Z",
      "contentSha256": "d30514044f4ab73bb52b4f8d9bb2d5b8a64482c26fd1b63be11defcb0f2ac6d6",
      "recordId": "source-a8abe4366f2656ba"
    },
    {
      "id": "bitcoin-dev-transactions",
      "label": "Bitcoin Developer Guide: Transactions",
      "publisher": "Bitcoin developer documentation contributors",
      "url": "https://developer.bitcoin.org/devguide/transactions.html",
      "locator": "P2PKH Script Validation; Transaction Fees And Change",
      "note": "UTXO inputs, transaction outputs, change and the difference paid as a fee.",
      "version": null,
      "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T17:03:41.190Z",
      "contentSha256": "449ae88ea59f9b198c398d3f5f56f83a92cd6be1638fa6681a1fdeea164892c0",
      "recordId": "source-b282fdecc069b74d"
    },
    {
      "id": "bip141",
      "label": "Segregated Witness consensus layer",
      "publisher": "Bitcoin BIPs contributors",
      "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitcoin/bips/927b6de9915c9262615a6399de51b200f81e5aa4/bip-0141.mediawiki",
      "locator": "Block size; Transaction size",
      "note": "Transaction weight and virtual-size definitions in the SegWit specification.",
      "version": "BIP-141; immutable revision pinned in source URL",
      "checkedAt": "2026-10-02T17:22:20.465Z",
      "contentSha256": "d72409335872a32494f75e7547589abf4b3b23b6beebe6bc6999c7a84b135e2c",
      "recordId": "source-896e868816ad19d1"
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  ],
  "related": {
    "articles": [
      "bitcoin-virtual-size",
      "replace-by-fee",
      "bitcoin-stuck-transactions",
      "bitcoin-dust"
    ],
    "dossiers": [],
    "wallets": []
  },
  "revisionHistory": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-02",
      "kind": "published",
      "summary": "Initial Bitcoin encyclopedia entry at this permanent URL."
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-02",
      "kind": "publishing-format",
      "summary": "Added reusable claims, explicit source locators, and matching Markdown and JSON. This publishing change does not itself establish factual verification."
    }
  ],
  "citation": "Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Bitcoin fee rates: sat/vB versus the total fee.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/bitcoin-fee-rate/"
}