When Bitcoin transaction fees hit $2.50 on average in early 2025, small everyday purchases became impractical. That's where MicroBitcoin (MBC) steps in. This cryptocurrency was created as a hard fork of Bitcoin at block 525,000 to bring back Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision of electronic cash for daily microtransactions. Unlike Bitcoin, which now favors large transfers due to high fees, MicroBitcoin is engineered specifically for tiny payments-like buying a coffee or tipping online creators.
MicroBitcoin is a decentralized peer-to-peer payment protocol designed for the micro-economy. Created as a hard fork from Bitcoin at block 525,000, it addresses Bitcoin's limitations for small transactions by offering near-instant confirmations and ultra-low fees. The project aims to revive Satoshi Nakamoto's original concept of electronic cash as a practical payment method for everyday use.
How MicroBitcoin Solves Bitcoin's Microtransaction Problem
Bitcoin's evolution into a high-value asset has left it poorly suited for everyday small payments. As of Q2 2025, the average transaction fee was $2.50-more than the cost of a cup of coffee. This makes using Bitcoin for micropayments impractical. MicroBitcoin fixes this by redesigning core technical elements. Its 1-minute block time ensures transactions confirm in under a minute, compared to Bitcoin's 10-minute average. Transaction fees on MicroBitcoin average less than $0.01, making even tiny payments feasible. This is a direct response to Bitcoin's shift away from its original purpose as electronic cash.
Key Technical Differences from Bitcoin
MicroBitcoin's technical design prioritizes microtransactions over Bitcoin's current use case. Here's how they compare:
| Feature | MicroBitcoin (MBC) | Bitcoin (BTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Block Time | 1 minute | 10 minutes |
| Total Supply | 81.5 billion tokens | 21 million tokens |
| Mining Algorithm | Power2b (CPU-friendly) | SHA-256 (ASIC-dominated) |
| Hashing Method | Blake2b | SHA-256 |
| Average Transaction Fee (Q2 2025) | < $0.01 | $2.50 |
| Primary Use Case | Microtransactions | Store of Value |
Current Market Status and Trading Details
As of July 2025, MicroBitcoin trades on exchanges including LBank, Coinstore, and XeggeX. The primary trading pair is MBC/USDT, with a daily trading volume of approximately $269,600. At this writing, MBC is priced around $0.00000000039 per token. This extremely low price reflects its design for microtransactions-where you'd need millions of tokens to equal $1. Despite this, the project has gained traction as a niche solution for digital payments where Bitcoin's fees are prohibitive. LBank's market analysis describes MicroBitcoin as "a lightweight, open-source blockchain optimized for fast, low-cost micropayments and token creation," highlighting its role in Layer-2 infrastructure.
Challenges and Real-World Usability Issues
MicroBitcoin's ultra-low price creates practical hurdles. Most payment systems and exchanges have minimum transaction thresholds, making it difficult to handle such small denominations. For example, sending a single MBC token might not be possible on some platforms. Additionally, Bitcoin's Lightning Network already offers near-zero fees and instant speeds for microtransactions, giving MicroBitcoin stiff competition. While MicroBitcoin's CPU-friendly mining promotes decentralization, it's unclear how it compares in security to networks with higher hash rates. The project also lacks documented security audits, raising questions about its long-term viability.
Why MicroBitcoin Matters for the Future of Digital Payments
MicroBitcoin represents an important experiment in returning to Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision. By focusing exclusively on microtransactions, it targets a use case Bitcoin has largely abandoned. If successful, it could enable new digital economies where small payments-like tipping content creators or buying digital goods-become seamless. The project's open-source nature invites community contributions, potentially leading to innovative applications on its Layer-2 infrastructure. However, widespread adoption depends on solving usability issues and proving its value against existing solutions. As Coinstore's July 2025 announcement states, MicroBitcoin aims to "pave the way with its Bitcoin 2.0 architecture" for communities excluded from traditional finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MicroBitcoin (MBC)?
MicroBitcoin (MBC) is a cryptocurrency created as a hard fork of Bitcoin at block 525,000. It's designed specifically for microtransactions, offering faster confirmations and lower fees than Bitcoin. With a total supply of 81.5 billion tokens, it aims to revive Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision of electronic cash for everyday use.
How does MicroBitcoin differ from Bitcoin?
MicroBitcoin has a 1-minute block time (vs Bitcoin's 10 minutes), a total supply of 81.5 billion tokens (vs Bitcoin's 21 million), and uses the Power2b mining algorithm which is CPU-friendly. Transaction fees are under $0.01 on average, compared to Bitcoin's $2.50. It's optimized for microtransactions, while Bitcoin is primarily a store of value.
Where can I buy MicroBitcoin?
As of July 2025, MicroBitcoin trades on exchanges including LBank, Coinstore, and XeggeX. The primary trading pair is MBC/USDT. However, due to its extremely low price per token, most platforms require users to trade in large quantities to avoid transaction issues.
Is MicroBitcoin a good investment?
MicroBitcoin is highly speculative. Its extremely low price and niche use case make it risky. While it addresses Bitcoin's microtransaction issues, it faces strong competition from solutions like the Lightning Network. There's no guarantee of adoption or price growth. Always do your own research before investing in any cryptocurrency.
Can I mine MicroBitcoin?
Yes. MicroBitcoin uses the Power2b algorithm, which is designed to be CPU-friendly and GPU-unfriendly. This allows ordinary users to mine without specialized hardware like ASICs. However, the network's hash rate is still relatively low compared to Bitcoin, so mining profitability may be limited.
