Crypto Glossary

A cryptographer and cypherpunk who significantly contributed to the development of Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

A string of characters representing a wallet that can send and receive cryptocurrency.

Free coins given out to many people to promote a new cryptocurrency and increase its popularity.

The highest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency.

The lowest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency.

Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.

A period in the cryptocurrency market when altcoins experience significant price increases, often outperforming Bitcoin.

Measures and regulations implemented to prevent and detect money laundering activities and financial crimes.

A prominent Bitcoin educator, author, and advocate known for his efforts to spread knowledge and understanding of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

The act of investing a significant amount of money into a cryptocurrency without conducting thorough research, often driven by FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

A Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that aims to improve transaction speed and reduce costs by processing transactions off-chain.

Special hardware designed specifically for mining cryptocurrencies much more efficiently than regular computers.

The lowest price a seller is willing to accept for a cryptocurrency.

A smart contract technology that enables the exchange of one cryptocurrency for another without using centralized intermediaries, like exchanges.

Testing a trading strategy using historical data to see how it would have performed.

A market situation where the futures price is below the expected future spot price.

The amount of cryptocurrency one holds.

Someone holding a cryptocurrency that has dropped significantly in value.

The difference between the futures price and the spot price of an underlying asset.

When prices are going down, and investors are pessimistic, often leading to selling and further price drops.

A situation where the price of a cryptocurrency appears to be falling, encouraging selling, but then quickly reverses upward.

A token standard on the Binance Smart Chain that defines how tokens can be issued, transferred, and utilized within the blockchain.

The highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a cryptocurrency.

A type of digital currency that allows people to make transactions directly with each other over the internet without needing a bank.

The open-source software that serves as the primary implementation of the Bitcoin protocol, ensuring the security and stability of the Bitcoin network.

A standardized process for proposing changes and improvements to the Bitcoin protocol.

An annual celebration on May 22nd, commemorating the first real-world transaction using Bitcoin, where two pizzas were bought for 10,000 BTC.

An unpredictable or unforeseen event with potentially severe consequences.

A collection of transactions recorded on the blockchain.

The number of blocks in the blockchain preceding the current block.

The cryptocurrency awarded to miners for successfully validating a block of transactions.

The amount of data that can be stored in a single block on a blockchain, impacting transaction processing speed and scalability.

A secure digital record book shared across a network.

A tool that allows users to search and view details about transactions, blocks, and addresses on a blockchain.

A situation where a blockchain network experiences slow transaction processing times due to high demand.

A service that provides smart contracts with external data, enabling them to interact with the outside world by retrieving information from sources outside the blockchain.

The challenge of achieving security, scalability, and decentralization simultaneously in a blockchain network.

A mathematical curve used to determine the price of a token in relation to its supply, commonly used in decentralized finance (DeFi) projects.

A prominent figure in the cryptocurrency industry, known for co-founding and leading Coinbase, one of the largest and most popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

An approach that involves buying cryptocurrencies when their prices drop, aiming to capitalize on future price recoveries.

When prices are going up, and investors are optimistic, often leading to more buying and further price increases.

Destroying coins permanently to reduce the total supply, often with the aim of increasing the value of the remaining coins.

Borrowing at a low interest rate and investing in an asset that provides a higher return.

A prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world, known for founding and formerly leading Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally.

The number of coins currently available in the market and actively circulating among traders and investors.

A trade or investment that has been exited, finalizing the transaction and realizing any profit or loss.

A type of cryptocurrency wallet that is not connected to the internet, providing a higher level of security against hacking and online threats.

Assets used to secure a loan or a trading position, protecting the lender or broker if the borrower fails to pay back.

A verification process in which a blockchain network validates a transaction and adds it to a block, ensuring its legitimacy and immutability.

A mechanism used in blockchain technology to achieve agreement on a single data value or a single state of the network among distributed processes or systems.

A market situation where the futures price is above the expected future spot price.

An Australian computer scientist and businessman who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.

A margin method that uses the full balance of the user's available assets to avoid liquidations.

Making a profit by buying a cryptocurrency for a low price in one place and selling it for a higher price in another place.

Rewards offered for completing tasks or finding bugs in a crypto project.

A prolonged period of declining prices and reduced activity in the cryptocurrency market.

A digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central bank.

A trading pair that represents the exchange rate between two different cryptocurrencies.

The practice of writing or solving codes to secure communication and protect information from unauthorized access.

The unauthorized use of someone’s computer or device to mine cryptocurrency.

A wallet where a third party holds and manages the private keys on behalf of the user.

A renowned cybersecurity expert known for discovering a critical vulnerability in the DNS protocol and his contributions to internet security.

Refers to the infamous 2016 hack of the Decentralized Autonomous Organization on Ethereum, leading to a significant loss of funds and a major split in the Ethereum community.

An organization that operates through smart contracts, with decisions made by automated rules instead of people.

An application that runs on a blockchain network rather than a single computer, making it more secure and reliable.

A pioneering cryptographer and computer scientist known for his foundational work in digital currency and privacy technologies.

The distribution of functions and power away from a central authority, enabling peer-to-peer interactions and greater security and transparency.

An API that operates on a decentralized network, enabling secure, transparent, and reliable interactions with blockchain data without a central authority.

DeFi, or Decentralized Finance, is a financial system built on blockchain technology that operates without traditional intermediaries like banks.

A consensus mechanism in blockchain technology where stakeholders elect delegates to validate transactions and secure the network.

Holding onto a cryptocurrency despite volatility or market downturns, reflecting a commitment to long-term investment.

A cryptographic technique used to validate the authenticity and integrity of a message, software, or digital document.

A digital system for recording transactions where the data is simultaneously recorded across multiple locations.

A strategy that involves spreading investments across various assets to reduce risk.

A cryptocurrency that started as a joke, featuring the Shiba Inu dog from the "Doge" meme, but has since gained a large following and significant market value.

A Japanese-American man who was mistakenly identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.

A potential flaw in digital cash systems where the same digital token can be spent more than once.

A small amount of cryptocurrency that is below the minimum transaction limit and cannot be spent.

A strategy where attackers send tiny amounts of cryptocurrency to reveal wallet activity and potentially de-anonymize users.

A tech entrepreneur known for his key roles in Tesla, SpaceX and X, and his influential impact on the cryptocurrency market.

The process of converting information into a code to prevent unauthorized access.

A standard for creating tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, ensuring compatibility and facilitating smooth interactions between different tokens and applications.

A standard for creating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain.

The native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum platform, used to power transactions and computational services on the network.

A decentralized platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps).

A major upgrade to the Ethereum network designed to improve scalability, security, and sustainability through new features like Proof of Stake and sharding.

A specific address to which tokens are sent to be permanently removed from circulation.

The fees charged by a trading platform for executing transactions, including trading fees, withdrawal fees, and funding fees.

A fund that tracks the price of an asset, like stocks or cryptocurrencies, and is traded on stock exchanges.

The risk that a trade will not be executed at the desired price.

Digital assets that provide fans with access to a range of exclusive content, experiences, and voting rights in their favorite sports teams or entertainment entities.

A website that gives away small amounts of cryptocurrency for free.

In the context of investing, it refers to the fear of missing out on a potentially profitable investment opportunity.

The spread of negative information with the intention of influencing market prices.

Government money like dollars or euros, used as official money in a country.

A type of double-spending attack on a blockchain network, named after early Bitcoin developer Hal Finney, where a miner pre-mines a transaction into a block before releasing it into the network.

A very rapid, deep, and volatile fall in security prices occurring within a very short time period.

A type of unsecured loan that must be borrowed and repaid within a single blockchain transaction.

The potential event of Ether surpassing Bitcoin in market capitalization.

A split in a blockchain that creates two separate chains, each continuing independently from the point of the split.

A computer that fully enforces all the rules of a blockchain network by storing and validating the entire blockchain.

The specific time intervals at which funding rates are exchanged between traders in a perpetual futures contract.

Periodic payments between traders to keep futures contract prices in line with the spot price. Positive rates mean longs pay shorts, negative rates mean shorts pay longs.

The property of an asset to be interchangeable with another asset of the same type.

The fee required to conduct a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain or execute a smart contract.

The maximum amount of gas (computational effort) that a user is willing to spend on a transaction on the Ethereum network.

A prominent developer who played a crucial role in the early development and promotion of Bitcoin.

A renowned figure in the cryptocurrency world, known for co-founding Ethereum and creating Polkadot, significantly advancing blockchain technology.

The very first block in a blockchain, initiating the chain of transactions and setting the foundation for the entire blockchain network.

Tokens that give holders the right to participate in the decision-making process of a blockchain project or decentralized platform.

A computer scientist and cryptographer known for his early involvement in Bitcoin development and his contributions to cryptography.

A process in which the reward for mining new blocks is halved, reducing the rate at which new coins are generated.

A permanent divergence in the blockchain, requiring all nodes to upgrade to the new protocol.

A physical device that securely stores the private keys to your cryptocurrency, protecting it from online hacks and theft.

A unique, fixed-length code that represents data, used to secure transactions on the blockchain.

An event in cryptography where two different inputs produce the same hash output, potentially compromising data integrity and security.

The computational power used in mining to solve the cryptographic puzzles that validate transactions.

A proof-of-work system used to limit email spam and denial-of-service attacks, and later adapted to secure Bitcoin transactions.

A software engineer and the creator of Uniswap, a decentralized exchange protocol that has significantly impacted the DeFi ecosystem.

A term originating from a misspelling of "hold," referring to a long-term investment strategy where one holds onto cryptocurrency regardless of market volatility.

A feature of the blockchain that means once data is written, it cannot be changed or deleted.

The temporary loss of funds experienced by liquidity providers due to volatility in a trading pair.

The aggregate price of an asset from various exchanges, used to prevent market manipulation in derivatives trading.

A fundraising method in which new projects sell their underlying crypto tokens in exchange for bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrencies.

A fundraising method in the cryptocurrency space where a cryptocurrency exchange acts as a facilitator to raise funds on behalf of a startup by selling its new tokens.

A fund used to cover losses when a trader’s margin is not sufficient to cover the position's loss.

The ability of different blockchain networks to communicate and interact.

A cryptocurrency designed for the Internet of Things (IoT), using a unique technology called the Tangle to enable feeless microtransactions and secure data transfer.

The eccentric tech entrepreneur who founded McAfee antivirus software and later became a vocal advocate for cryptocurrencies.

A programmer known for making the first real-world transaction using Bitcoin, famously buying two pizzas for 10,000 BTC in 2010.

The delay between an action being initiated and its effect being observed.

The base layer or main blockchain network, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, that provides security and transaction processing.

Secondary frameworks or protocols built on top of Layer 1 blockchains to improve scalability and transaction speed.

In trading, leverage allows controlling larger positions with less capital, amplifying potential gains and losses based on market movements

A second-layer solution built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain to enable faster and cheaper transactions.

An order to buy or sell a cryptocurrency at a specific price or better.

The process of closing a trader’s position by force due to insufficient margin, often resulting in the loss of the initial margin deposit.

How easy it is to buy or sell an asset without affecting its price.

A situation where there is a shortage of liquidity in the market, leading to difficulty in executing trades.

A collection of cryptocurrencies locked in a smart contract on a decentralized exchange to make trading easier. Users add their coins to the pool and earn fees from trades that use this pool.

The primary network where a blockchain’s real transactions occur.

The minimum amount of equity that must be maintained in a margin account to keep a position open.

The collateral that must be deposited by a trader to cover potential losses in futures trading.

A notification that your account balance has fallen below the maintenance margin, requiring you to add more funds.

The total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated as price times circulating supply.

The measure of a market’s ability to absorb large buy and sell orders without significantly affecting the price.

A company or individual that buys and sells a cryptocurrency at publicly quoted prices, providing liquidity and narrowing the bid-ask spread to ensure smoother trading in the market.

Actions taken by individuals or groups to artificially influence the price or trading volume of a cryptocurrency.

An order to buy or sell a cryptocurrency immediately at the best available current price.

A specialized node in a blockchain network that performs important tasks beyond regular transaction validation, often requiring a significant stake of cryptocurrency to operate.

A type of cryptocurrency that is often created as a joke or meme but can gain value and popularity within the crypto community.

A place where unconfirmed cryptocurrency transactions wait before being confirmed and added to the blockchain.

A cryptographic structure that organizes and verifies data in a blockchain, ensuring its integrity and security.

A popular cryptocurrency wallet and gateway to decentralized applications (DApps) on the Ethereum blockchain.

The former CEO of MicroStrategy, known for his pivotal role in the company’s significant investment in Bitcoin.

The process by which transactions are verified and added to a blockchain, and new cryptocurrency tokens are created.

A group of cryptocurrency miners who combine their computational resources over a network to increase their chances of solving a block and earning rewards.

A term used when a cryptocurrency's price is rising rapidly, often with the intent of increasing its price.

Someone who is overly optimistic about a cryptocurrency's potential to increase in value.

A Bitcoin exchange that was once the largest in the world but collapsed in 2014 following a massive security breach and loss of funds.

A blockchain system that enables communication, transactions, and data sharing across multiple blockchain networks.

High demand on a blockchain network, leading to slower transaction times and higher fees.

A unique digital item stored on the blockchain, such as art or collectibles, that cannot be replaced.

A computer scientist, legal scholar, and cryptographer known for his pioneering work on digital contracts and cryptocurrencies.

A person who does not own any cryptocurrency and is skeptical about its value or potential.

A computer that helps run the blockchain network by validating and relaying transactions.

A wallet where the user has full control over their private keys and funds.

A number used only once in cryptographic communications, critical for securing blockchain transactions.

Someone who is not familiar with the cryptocurrency space.

Transactions or data that are processed outside the blockchain network, reducing the load on the main blockchain.

Activities or transactions that are recorded directly on the blockchain and are visible to all participants in the network.

The total number of outstanding futures contracts that have not been settled.

An active trade or investment that has not yet been closed.

Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.

A list of all buy and sell orders on an exchange, showing the demand and supply for a cryptocurrency.

A Bitcoin transaction type that allows the sender to commit funds to a hash of a script, enabling more complex transaction conditions.

Selling a cryptocurrency at the first sign of a price drop.

Direct transactions between people without using a middleman, like a bank or exchange.

A type of futures contract with no expiration date, allowing traders to hold positions indefinitely. These contracts use funding rates to align with the spot price of the underlying asset.

A type of online scam where attackers disguise themselves as legitimate entities to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.

A philanthropic project that donated over $55 million worth of Bitcoin to various charities and causes around the world.

A decentralized platform that enables different blockchains to interoperate and share information securely.

The determination of the amount of capital to allocate to a particular trade or investment, based on risk management principles.

A data encryption and decryption program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication.

The difference in the price of a cryptocurrency between two or more exchanges.

The effect that a large order has on the market price.

A secret alphanumeric code used to authorize cryptocurrency transactions and secure access to your digital assets.

A consensus algorithm that uses the identity of validators to secure the network.

A consensus mechanism that uses a cryptographic timestamping method to create a historical record proving that an event has occurred at a specific moment in time.

A cryptographic method by which one party proves to another that they know a value, without revealing the actual value itself.

A method of securing a blockchain by having validators lock up coins as collateral to validate transactions.

A consensus mechanism used by blockchain networks to validate transactions and create new blocks through computational effort.

The set of rules and standards that define how data is transmitted and transactions are processed within a blockchain network.

A cryptographic code that allows a user to receive cryptos or messages securely. It is paired with a private key, which remains confidential.

A token with an elastic supply that adjusts to maintain a target price.

A sequence of words generated by your cryptocurrency wallet that allows you to recover your funds if you lose access to your wallet.

Slang for losing a lot of money in cryptocurrency trading, short for "wrecked."

A network attack where a valid data transmission is maliciously repeated.

A measure of the profitability of an investment, calculated by dividing the net profit by the initial cost of the investment and expressed as a percentage.

A cryptocurrency entrepreneur known for founding FTX, who faced legal troubles following the exchange’s collapse.

The smallest unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC.

The mysterious creator of Bitcoin, whose true identity remains unknown.

How well a blockchain can handle an increasing number of transactions.

A fraudulent cryptocurrency with no real value, often created to deceive investors and make quick profits for the creators.

A fundraising method involving the sale of security tokens that represent ownership in an asset.

Digital assets that represent ownership or other rights to an underlying asset, typically regulated by securities laws.

A set of words generated by your cryptocurrency wallet that allows you to access and recover your crypto assets.

A cryptographic hash function that produces a fixed-size, unique output from an input of any size, widely used in blockchain technology for secure data verification.

A method to improve blockchain scalability by dividing the network into smaller pieces, known as shards, that can process transactions simultaneously.

To promote a cryptocurrency aggressively, often with the intent of increasing its price.

A derogatory term for a cryptocurrency with little to no value or utility.

A trading strategy where a trader borrows an asset and sells it, hoping to buy it back later at a lower price to make a profit.

The difference between the expected price of a trade and the actual price at which the trade is executed.

A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement directly written into lines of code, running on a blockchain.

A backward-compatible upgrade to the blockchain protocol, where only some nodes need to upgrade.

Digital applications that store private keys and enable users to send, receive, and manage their cryptocurrencies securely.

A financial market where cryptocurrencies are bought and sold for immediate delivery.

The current market price at which an asset is bought or sold for immediate payment and delivery.

The difference between the bid price (the highest price a buyer is willing to pay) and the ask price (the lowest price a seller is willing to accept).

A type of cryptocurrency that is designed to have a stable value by being pegged to a reserve asset like the US dollar or gold.

An order to automatically sell a cryptocurrency when its price hits a certain level, designed to limit potential losses.

A pioneering cryptographer whose work laid the foundations for blockchain technology, known for co-inventing the first blockchain in 1991.

A type of security threat where one individual creates multiple fake identities to manipulate or take control of a network.

A separate blockchain used by developers to test and experiment without risking real assets or affecting the main network.

A sequence of characters or encoded information identifying when a certain event occurred, typically giving date and time of day.

A digital asset issued on a blockchain, often representing a utility or asset.

An event during which a new cryptocurrency or token is created and distributed to investors, often as part of a fundraising campaign.

The study of the economic system of a cryptocurrency token, including its distribution, circulation, and the incentives for users to hold or use the token.

The ability to track the history, application, or location of an item using recorded data.

A type of stop order that moves with the price of an asset to lock in profits and limit losses.

The process of transferring cryptocurrency from one digital wallet to another, recorded on the blockchain.

A measure of how many transactions a blockchain can process in one second, indicating its performance and scalability.

A system where transactions do not require trust between parties.

A security process that requires two forms of identification to access an account, enhancing protection against unauthorized access.

A type of cryptocurrency known as a stablecoin, which is pegged to the value of a traditional currency like the US dollar to provide stability.

A participant in a PoS blockchain responsible for validating transactions and creating new blocks.

A prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world, known for co-founding Ethereum and significantly contributing to blockchain technology.

How much and how quickly the price of an asset changes over time.

The practice of buying and selling the same asset simultaneously to create misleading activity in the market.

Investors who sell at the first sign of a price drop, often driven by fear and uncertainty.

A term used to describe an individual or entity that holds a large amount of cryptocurrency, capable of influencing market prices.

A service that tracks and reports large cryptocurrency transactions, often made by individuals or entities known as "whales".

A list of participants allowed to take part in a crypto event, such as an ICO.

A document outlining the details of a cryptocurrency project, explaining its technology, purpose, and roadmap.

A type of cryptocurrency transaction that is broadcasted to the network but not yet included in a block, allowing it to be recognized instantly without waiting for confirmation.

A method to prove the validity of information without revealing it.