bits

/bɪts/

Very Common

Twitch's virtual currency used to cheer at streamers during live streams.

Bits are public. Cheering in chat is visible to everyone, which is part of the appeal. Large cheer amounts often get a shoutout.

Real-world examples4 examples

#	Example	What it means	Source
01	just dropped 500 bits, keep up the grind	The viewer supported the streamer with a cheer and a message of encouragement.	youtube, 2024
02	bro spent his lunch money on bits	Someone spent more money than they probably should have on cheering.	x, 2023
03	100 bits is like a dollar, the conversion is kinda bad	Noting that Twitch takes a cut and bits are not 1:1 with USD.	reddit, 2023
04	thank you for the bits omg you didn't have to	A streamer reacting with genuine appreciation to a cheer.	tiktok, 2024

Use it when

Talking about sending money to a streamer through Twitch's built-in system.
Referring to the cheer action specifically.
Discussing how much someone donated during a stream.

Do not use it when

You mean a direct donation through PayPal or another external service.Use “donation” instead.
You mean a subscription.Use “sub” instead.

Variations and related forms

cheer

The act of sending bits in chat, or the chat message that contains them.

Bits vs sub

bits

Bits are one-time virtual currency purchases that appear as cheers in chat.

sub

A sub is a recurring monthly payment that grants the subscriber channel perks.

Origin and context

Bits launched on Twitch in 2016 as a built-in tipping system, replacing the previous third-party donation model as the primary in-platform monetization tool.

First seen: 2016
Confidence: high

Cite this page

Use this stable URL to reference the entry.

https://slang.fyi/bits

Updated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0

Related slang

sub gifting hype train channel points