Three crypto-savvy friends decided to celebrate Bitcoin's recent market surge with a lavish dinner. As they wrapped up their meal, the waiter presented them with a bill for 30 $BTC . Each friend, without hesitation, chipped in 10 BTC, totaling the full amount.
But the plot thickens.
Moments later, the waiter returned, sheepishly admitting the actual bill was only 25 BTC — a 5 BTC overcharge. Honest and eager to correct the mistake, he grabbed 5 BTC from the register to return to the group.
Yet, splitting 5 $BTC
among three people posed a problem. To simplify matters, he handed 1 BTC back to each diner — returning 3 BTC in total — and quietly pocketed the remaining 2 BTC as a tip for his honesty and service.
Now here’s where things get puzzling…
Each friend originally paid 10 $BTC , and received 1 BTC back, meaning they effectively paid 9 BTC each.
Three friends × 9 BTC = 27 BTC paid.
Add the 2 BTC the waiter kept, and you get... 29 BTC.
But wait — they paid 30 BTC!
So… Where’s the missing 1 BTC?! 😱
The Real Answer? It's All in the Math.
This so-called mystery is a classic misdirection — a clever math trap.
The 27 BTC the friends effectively paid already includes the 2 BTC tip the waiter kept. So the breakdown actually looks like this:
25 BTC: to the restaurant (the real cost of the meal)
2 BTC: kept by the waiter
3 BTC: refunded to the friends (1 BTC each)
That adds up to the original 30 BTC.
The trick lies in adding the tip to the 27 BTC paid, when in fact the tip is already part of the 27 BTC. It’s like trying to add your lunch to your total food bill twice.
Moral of the Story?
Next time someone tries to confuse you with missing Bitcoin, remember:
In blockchain, as in math, every satoshi counts — and nothing just vanishes. 😉
