Bits were introduced by Twitch in 2016 as a virtual currency viewers buy and spend to cheer in chat, pairing their message with animated Cheermotes and alerting the streamer on screen. As clipping, donations and tipping culture grew on the platform, the short cheer chime became shorthand outside Twitch as well. Creators lifted it into YouTube edits, short videos and soundboards where it now signals a payment, a generous tip or a mock donation, even when no real Bits have been spent at all.