Hex vs. Decimal vs. Binary

Understanding how to move between these three bases is critical for anyone auditing raw Bitcoin data. While the "Value" remains the same, the representation changes how we interact with the data.

1. Visualizing the Conversion

Let's look at the value 255 (the maximum value of a single byte).

Base	Representation	Length	Context
Binary	11111111	8	Hardware Level
Decimal	255	3	Human Counting
Hex	FF	2	Coding/Debugging

2. Converting Binary to Hex

To convert binary to hex, simply group the bits into sets of 4:

• Binary: 1010 1011

• Step 1: 1010 = 10 in decimal = A in hex.

• Step 2: 1011 = 11 in decimal = B in hex.

• Result: AB

3. The "Power of 2" Alignment

Computers operate on bytes (8 bits).

• Decimal is not aligned to bits. 100 in decimal is 01100100 in binary. There is no simple way to see the "Bytes" inside a decimal number.

• Hex is perfectly aligned. Every two characters is exactly one byte.

• DEADBEEF $\rightarrow$ 4 bytes (DE, AD, BE, EF).

4. Range Comparison

When looking at Bitcoin's Difficulty Target, we often deal with massive numbers.

• A 32-bit Integer: Max value is $2^{32} - 1$ (4.2 billion). In hex, this is exactly FFFFFFFF.

• A 256-bit Hash: In hex, this is 64 characters. In decimal, this is a number with 77 digits.

5. Security Context

When you see a private key in "Raw" format, you are looking at a 64-character hex string. If you lose even one character, or mistake an A for an 8, the value changes completely, and you lose access to your funds. This is why we use checksum-encoded formats like WIF or Base58 instead of raw hex for human use.

In the next section, we will analyze the confusing world of Little Endian vs. Big Endian.