Accounting with cryptocurrencies

Banana Accounting allows you to manage any currency, including the Bitcoin, Ethereum and any other cryptocurrency, even the ICO (Initial Coin Offering), using any abbreviation and allowing for up to 27 decimals and freely settable exchange rates. Precise values and account statements are generated. In Banana Accounting, you will always have the exact values for each individual currency.
Any currency can be selected as the base currency, EUR, US$, Bitcoin and any currency can be managed.

Single or multiple currencies

When you are keeping accounts, you must first decide whether you are doing so in one single currency or if multiple currencies are required. 
The Cash book and Income & Expense accounting work with one single currency, whereas Double-entry accounting allows for you to keep accounts in several different currencies. 

The base currency is defined in the File prpoerties of the accounting (of the File menu). The program displays a list of predefined currencies, but you may indicate any other currency code.

For Double-entry accounting, amounts are indicated in the account currency as well as the base currency. Amount in the base currency can be added up and are therefore used for the preparation of the Balance Sheet, the Profit & Loss statement, as well as the different reports.

When selecting Multi-currency accounting, the currencies that you require can be be set up in the Exchange rates table, indicating the exchange rates between the different currencies. National or cryptocurrencies can be managed without restrictions and any code can be used.

Changing decimal points for the accounting

Decimal points are implemented when the accounting file is created, in order to avoid rounding up differences. Amounts are rounded up according the same method, thus avoiding differences that sometimes occur in Excel.

When starting a new accounting, it is advised to use an existing template, which is usually set up with 2 decimal points.
If you need to manage your accounting or accounts with a higher number of decimal points, you need to "re-create the file" with the following command

• Tools Menu -> Convert to new file ...

The program will generate a copy of your file with the new Outline created for your new file, including the appropriate decimal points required. For Multi-currency accounting you will have to indicate:

• The decimal points in the base currency.
• The decimal points for accounts in foreign currencies.

Setting up decimal points for foreign currencies

When using multi-currency accounting in Double-entry accounting, rounding up needs to be indicated for amounts in foreign currencies.
Decimal points for foreign currency should generally not be inferior to those in use for the base currency.
When managing cryptocurrencies such as ETH, you must indicate 18 as a value in the conversion file. 

The different currency codes must be indicated in the Exchange rates table, with the related opening and current exchange rates.

The currency code must be indicated for each account in the Accounts table of the Chart of Accounts.

Currencies and decimal points

Currency codes are available and can be consulted in the relative Wikipedia page, with indication of decimal points commonly used.

• Currencies generally use 2 decimal points.
• Currencies with 0 decimal points are
  • BIF Burundian Franc
  • CLP Chilean peso
  • DJF Djiboutian franc
  • GNF Guinean franc
  • ISK  Icelandic króna
  • JPY Japanese yen
  • KRW South Korean won
  • PYG  Paraguayan guaraní
  • RWF Rwandan franc
  • UGX  Ugandan shilling
  • UYI  Uruguay Peso en Unidades Indexadas
  • VUV  Vanuatu vatu
  • XOF CFA franc BCEAO
  • XPF CFP franc (franc Pacifique)
• Currencies with 3 decimal points are
  • BHD Bahraini dinar
  • IQD Iraqi dinar
  • JOD Jordanian dinar
  • KWD Kuwaiti dinar
  • LYD Libyan dinar
  • TND Tunisian dinar
• Currencies with 4 decimal points are
  • UYW Unidad previsional

Cryptocurrencies

There is a multitude of cryptocurrencies, each carrying their own name and code.

There is no indication for their decimal points. For the best known they are 

• BTN Bitcoin with 9 decimal points.
• ETH  Ethereum with 18 decimal points.
  Multiple other virtual currencies are based on the Ethereum blockchain and require 18 decimal points.

Indicate the appropriate decimal points for the required currency in the Outline create new file dialog.