A famous advocate of Bitcoin who has given speeches and presentations about Bitcoin all over the world.

Artificial Intelligence. As machines advance in intelligence, they are capable of learning from their environments and completing more complex tasks.

Anti-Money Laundering. AML laws and restrictions require exchanges to obtain personal information about their customers and their activities.

Application Programmer Interface. A type of toolkit provided for developers for creating applications.

A process for solving a mathematical problem. In blockchains consensus algorithms are used to verify transactions.

Highly specialized computing machines that are far more efficient for mining than CPUs and GPUs. Jihan Wu (a Chinese businessman) is responsible for creating and selling many ASIC Miners.

A term used to describe coins that do not require expensive equipment for mining. If a coin is ASIC-resistant, its mining is thought to be more fair and decentralized than coins that are not ASIC-resistant.

Komodo's Decentralized Exchange which connects all of its independent blockchains and allows atomic swaps.

Bitcoin Improvement Protocol. New feature proposed for Bitcoin are BIPs.

A free, open-source web browser that aims to provide its users the best possible user experience by blocking trackers, hiding advertisements, respecting user privacy, and even offering a built in tipping mechanism that allows users to reward content creators.

BNB (Binance Coin) is an ERC20 token that lives on the Ethereum blockchain. The token has multiple forms of utility, essentially being the underlying gas that powers the Binance Ecosystem. Most important, it can be used to pay for trading fees on the exchange, obtaining the equivalent of a 50% discount on trades during the first year, 25% during the second year and so on.

a high-yield ponzi scheme in the cryptocurrency market, guarantee profits to investors. Customer losses are estimated to have exceeded $1 billion and was shut down in January 2018.

A new version of the Bitcoin Protocol devloped using the Javascript programming language.

Websites (available for most cryptocurrencies) that allow users to search an address or transaction ID to view its details.

A trader or speculator who believes cryptocurrency prices will fall.

The first successful hard fork of Bitcoin that allows the protocol to grow and scale by removing its block size limit.

A regretful investor who bought a crypto (or cryptos) believing they would appreciate in value. Instead, the crypto decreased in value and the investor is left "holding bags."

1 Bit is equal to 1/1,000,000 of a Bitcoin. Not to be confused with the computer science definition in which 1 bit equals 0.125 bytes.

The first blockchain-based cryptocurrency, launched in 2009. Bitcoin remains the most influential and widely recognized coin. All other cryptocurrencies are known as "altcoins," simply because they are not Bitcoin.

Someone who uses Bitcoin regularly or is heavily involved in its technology.

A term used to describe cryptocurrency projects that facilitate programmable transactions rather than simply acting as methods to store and transfer value. Projects like Ethereum are known as Blockchain 2.0 contracts because they allow their users to create and execute smart contracts and develop decentralized apps.

A mechanism that destroys an amount of coins or tokens, thereby decreasing the total coin supply of a cryptocurrency. 

The largest distributor of ASIC miners, run by Jihan Wu.

A short rise in a cryptocurrency’s price that makes investors think the price will continue to rise. Instead, the price falls significantly following the rise, fooling the “bulls.”  

A segment of data recorded on the blockchain that can contain transactions and other information.

The payment given to a miner for securing a blockchain that uses POW (Proof-of-Work) consensus

A transaction that combines multiple transactions into one for increased efficiency and decreased fees.

The total number of blocks on a blockchain since the genesis block (first block) was mined.

Bitcoin’s ticker symbol.

A general agreement among participants using and mining a cryptocurrency.

Advocates of using strong encryption to evade government spying. Cypherpunks were heavily involved in the early development of Bitcoin.

No longer in production, these were physical coins created by Mike Caldwell that have private Bitcoin keys.

Addresses created to hold the remaining balance when users spend less than a full input. Mostly used in hierarchical deterministic wallets that can create an unlimited number of addresses.

An asset, of any kind, that a lender will accept to secure a loan. If the borrower doesn't pay back the loan -- the lender keeps or sells the asset.

A cryptocurrency that relies solely on its own technology to function.

Free movement of coins between individuals.

The first exchange that allowed individuals to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

A trade on a popular cryptocurrency exchange.

An offline wallet for holding cryptocurrencies. Considered more secure than hot wallets.

Verifications of consensus by miners and/or nodes. After an individual sends payment on a blockchain, confirmations are required before the recipient can accept payment. 

A cryptocurrency that uses the “Doge” meme with a cult-like following.

A unique, encrypted output that cannot be duplicated. Useful for creating digital identities and confirming authenticity.

An organization that operates to earn profits for its shareholders (coin holders) by creating value for the free market.

Distributed amongst its users rather than controlled by one group or within one certain area.

A metric for measuring bitcoin inactivity. Each day a Bitcoin remains unspent is another day added to its total number of Days Destroyed.

A network that requires special software (like TOR) to access. Websites on the Darknet are much more difficult to shut down than normal websites. The Darknet was one of the first communities to use cryptocurrencies for transactions.

Distributed Apps. Applications without centralized control.

Directed Acyclic Graphs. Also referred to as “Tangle.” DAG is an alternative to the “chain of blocks” architecture used in many crypto projects.

An over/under guessing game that uses random number generators to output results, allowing individuals to bet using cryptocurrencies.

An application created to run on a user's PC.

Decentralized Autonomous Organization. An organization governed by smart contracts founded to allocate funds to cryptocurrency projects.

A consensus mechanism that uses professional nodes to broadcast a version of the blockchain. If two thirds or more of the nodes agree, that block is written onto the chain. 

Delayed Proof of Work, the consensus mechanism used by Komodo. dPoW allows one blockchain to take advantage of the security and hashing power of a second blockchain (Bitcoin, in Komodo's case). 

DPoS. A consensus mechanism that has a blockchain's nodes vote on the correct version of the blockchain. 

A group of businesses and organizations working together to build a globally-accepted identity verification system. The DIF uses blockchain technology to create a system that doesn't require a centralized authority for purposes of identification.

A list of transactions that exists on every computer that elects to run blockchain software.

A famous problem that occurs when cryptocurrency is spent more than once. Miners and transaction finality ensure that double-spend cannot occur.

Transfers of value that are too small to be sent due to the proportionately high fee incurred. 

A cryptocurrency created by Vitalik Buterin that runs on Ether (ETH). Ethereum was the first blockchain-based technology to make smart contracts and decentralized applications possible.

Exchange Traded Fund. A group of assets that can be bought or sold as a single asset.

A token issued on the Ethereum platform.

The native tokens of the Ethereum platform. Required in order to send transactions or execute smart contracts.

Transforming data into unrecognizable code that can only be decoded with the exact decryption key.

A term used to describe the way that cryptocurrencies remove many of the inefficiencies and hassles inherent in alternative methods of transferring payment.

A hypothetical society in which no one is forced to do anything against their wishes and all actions are voluntary.

Fear of Missing Out. Investors with FOMO buy cryptocurrency (emotionally rather than logically) for fear of missing out on profits.

A CNBC show on which cryptocurrencies are frequently discussed.  

The idea that all units in a money supply are exactly equal. Fungibility is considered to be an essential aspect of effective currencies by many economists.

A percentage of block reward that is paid to the founders of a cryptocurrency rather than to its miners. Zcash is a cryptocurrency with a Founders’ Reward.

A change in a cryptocurrency’s software that does not make it incompatible with the original version.

An open-source database for developers to create and share computer coding with a large community.

The first block mined on a blockchain.

Output emitted from an algorithm for maintaining consensus on a blockchain.

The number of hashes a miner performs over a given period of time.

First made popular in a post by a drunken Bitcoiner who advocated buying but not selling Bitcoin, it is now a meme to intentionally misspell “hold.” Hodlers see huge potential in the future of a cryptocurrency and don’t plan on selling anytime soon.

The process of intermittently decreasing the block reward given to cryptocurrency miners by 50%.

Someone who does not sell, but holds on to his coins. "HODL"  was originally a typo but it gained the status of a funny backronym: “Hold on for dear life”.

The act of protecting an asset from risk. A hedge can protect against losses or even offset against gains.

Created each time coins are sent to an address.

When an asset (i.e. coin) cannot be easily bought or sold due to a lack of buyers or sellers in a market. If there are only a handful of buyers or sellers the price may be substantially higher (due to few sellers charging a premium) or substantially lower (due to a few buyers demanding discounts).

Initial Coin Offering. An event in which a cryptocurrency project “goes public,” selling early coins in exchange for funds.

The term used to refer to blockchains to describe the way in which blocks cannot be changed after they are recorded.  

The process of increasing a cryptocurrency's supply, which usually drives its price down.

Invisible Internet Project. A network layer that facilitates anonymous, censorship-resistant communication between users.

CEO of Bitmain, the largest distributor of cryptocurrency mining machines.

An algorithm used to adjust mining difficulty so that all miners are given a fair chance at earning block rewards.

Software that records every button press of an individual’s keyboard. Often used to hack into accounts by recording passwords.

Cryptocurrency that has had its origins intentionally obscured to hide evidence of illegal activities.

A cryptocurrency forked from Bitcoin known primarily for its decreased block time, which (theoretically) allows for faster transactions.

A type of exchange used to make it easier for individuals to exchange assets for usable currency.

A network layer that functions on top of the Bitcoin blockchain and allows for a huge number of low-fee microtransactions.

The process by which users on a PoS blockchain verify transactions and receive new coins for their participation.

A mining rig is a computer used for mining cryptocurrencies. The rig might be a dedicated computer or it could be a computer that fills other needs too.

A popular online wallet that supports Ether and most ERC20 tokens.

When a blockchain features several levels for scalability and encryption purposes, it can be said to be "Multi-Layered."

A feature that requires several keys to authorize a single transaction, especially for dividing responsibility among separate parties.

A series of words that can be used to recover an account or wallet.

A cryptocurrency that is very popular on the Darknet because it is considered to be more anonymous than Bitcoin and similar coins.

A cryptocurrency meme that refers to the skyrocketing of a coin's price. When Hodlers’ coins go to the Moon, they can all buy Lambos.

The practice of borrowing money to buy and sell assets.

A node (device running the full software of a cryptocurrency) that fulfills more purposes than regular nodes - such as increasing privacy, providing instant transactions, and participating in governance.

A pre-planned trade set to execute if a cryptocurrency reaches a certain price.

A group of people online who agree to combine their mining rigs into one for more collective mining power. They split rewards evenly based on each person's mining power.

A method of intentionally obscuring the source of illegally-obtained funds.

A very small payment made possible with digital currencies.

A mathematical problem that is solved by participants of a blockchain to verify transactions in exchange for block rewards.

Near-Field Communication. Enables devices located close to each other to transmit data without the need for internet connection.

A popular framework for JavaScript code to be written in. 

An individual that trades cryptocurrencies but does not have a high net worth or high salary, and is not elgiible for certain investment opportunities.

A cryptocurrency that allows data (and transactions) to be written onto its blockchain.

A grouping of addresses that receive coins in a cryptocurrency transaction.

Transfer of value that takes place outside of a blockchain for reduced fees and quicker transaction time.

A term used to describe software that is made available online so that any individual can view its code and submit improvements.

A third-party entity capable of transmitting reliable information to a blockchain so that smart-contracts can be executed.

Proof of Stake and Trust. A consensus mechanism used by Waltonchain that relies on token holders (nodes) to verify transactions while retaining information about nodes' past performance to give higher rewards to the most reliable nodes.

a fraudulent type of operation where a company attracts investors to send money, with expected profits in return. The company pays back investor profits using later investors’ money. Once the company can no longer attract new investors, then payments cannot be made to clients, the company collapses and investors lose money.

PoP for short. A consensus mechanism used by DigixDAO to track the movements of physical assets, identify their ownership, and ensure their security.

Private keys are used to spend cryptocurrencies.

Freedom from surveillance.

Any cryptocurrency that focuses on maintaining private transactions between users. Examples are Dash, ZCash, and Monero.

A cryptocurrency's main blockchain which connects its sidechains or subchains.

Proof of Work. A consensus mechanism for verifying transactions with computing power that creates new coins in the process.

A physical piece of paper containing a private key, a public key, and often corresponding QR codes.

Occurs when a cryptocurrency’s price shoots up and then quickly crashes. Pump and dumps are often coordinated manipulations of the market by groups of individuals for profit.

A situation that occurs when an asset's market value is far higher than it's actual worth, making a sharp drop in price imminent.

Proof-of-Importance is a consensus algorithm similar to PoS. Nodes "vest" currency to participate in the creation of blocks. Unlike PoS, Proof-of-Importance quantifies a person’s support of the network. NEM is using Proof-of-Importance.

If you are running a full node, a “peer” is some else also running a full node.

PoI stands for Proof-of-Importance. It is a new consensus algorithm that requires users to stake currency to participate in the consensus. Compared to PoS, it adds importance to staking. Thus, it takes into account one’s involvement in the network. PoI was introduced by NEM.

A social attack in which a malicious individual masquerades as a trustworthy person in an attempt to fool the victim into giving up personal information (like passwords).

Outputs of an algorithm that can be examined and verified. This term is commonly used in cryptocurrency gambling.

A cryptocurrency that uses both PoW and PoS in its consensus mechanism to offer increased security.

A method of increasing monetary supply (and lowering interest rates) by introducing new money to the market from a central authority.

An advanced form of computing that allows extremely complex problems to be solved very quickly. For cryptocurrency, quantum computing is important because once it is advanced enough, it may be capable of hacking private keys.

Radio Frequency Identification chips. RFID chips are attached to physical objects to make them easier to identify and track.

An individual that contributes their tokens to Kyber Network's Dynamic Reserve Pool to improve the platform's liquidity.

A site that aggregates a nearly endless range of topics. Subreddits exist within Reddit to focus on specific topics.

Segregated Witnesses. A protocol implemented by Bitcoin to increase transaction speed. SegWit allows more transactions to be written into a single block on a blockchain.

A type of password that an individual can use to recover their wallet.

A digital asset on the Steem blockchain that can be launched by any user for the purpose of monetizing online content and encouraging positive user participation.

Price-stable cryptocurrencies that achieve stability through pegging their value to another asset, like the US dollar.

Selling, before buying, and intending to repurchase the stock at a lower price to realize the profit from a coin/asset decreasing in value. Basically profiting from the falling price of an asset.

Smart Contract. An agreement between two parties that carries itself out once its terms are met.

An altcoin that is marketed as technology with potential, but is really just sold to make money with no promise of a future use case.

A blockchain that runs separately from a cryptocurrency's main blockchain, using the native currency to carry out transactions. Subchains help scalability by reducing the amount of data stored on a cryptocurrency's main blockchain, often called the "parent chain."

The Securities and Exchange Commision. A regulatory US agency responsible for the investigation and shut down of several cryptocurrency-related projects.

An indication of support for a feature, often sent out by miners to inform the general public of their opinion.

A mathematical mechanism for combining a public address with a private address to ensure authenticity and prevent forging.

The process by which a full database is split into smaller databases called shards. Sharding helps with the scalability of cryptocurrencies.

Agreements between two parties that self-execute when their terms are met and automatically cancel when their terms are not met.

A computer that is far more powerful than an ordianry computer due to its superior performance.

The minimum amount of funds that a cryptocurrency's founders wish to raise in an ICO. If an ICO does not meet its soft cap, it will often be canceled until a later date.

Simplified Payment Verification. Allows wallets to function by letting them connect to local nodes that have full copies of the blockchain rather than requiring download of the full blockchain (like Bitcoin Core).

An alternative to mining rewards. Staking rewards are earned by putting a certain amount of your cryptocurrency up as a 'stake' to confirm transactions. Rewards are given for doing this.

A popular exchange service created by Eric Voorhees that allows individuals to trade most altcoins anonymously for a small fee.

A derogatory term used to describe altcoins that are based on faulty technology or have little promise for the future.

An individual that volunteers to lock some of their coins or tokens up to verify transactions on a blockchain in exchange for staking rewards.

The ability of a system to be trusted without the need of trusting the individuals with which you are transacting.

A feature of cryptocurrency exchanges that makes it easy for individuals to buy one cryptocurrency with a different cryptocurrency. For example, a BTC/DASH trading pair allows an individual to buy DASH with BTC or vice versa.

A computing system that can perform a whole set of computational functions is considered “Turing Complete.”

Transactions per second. A measure which describes how fast a cryptocurrency can handle its users' transactions.

Software preprogrammed to buy, sell, short, long or execute other trading strategies and commands when the owner is absent. Trading while asleep or away from the keyboard.

A cryptocurrency created using another platform (like Ethereum). Tokens operate by using the technology of the platform on which they were created.

An amount of value that must be paid to transfer value on a blockchain.

A measure that describes how many coins of a given cryptocurrency can exist (after all mining is completed, if applicable).

A sequence of numbers used to identify the moment in time that a transaction occurred.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A set of protocols that allow multiple computers to communicate.

A unit of currency consumed in a process. For example, an arcade token that gets used when a game is played or a coin like BNB Binance token, which is used to pay exchange fees.

User-Issued Assets, Tokens that can be created on the BitShares network.

The acronym for stable coins issued by Tether Limited: U.S. Dollar Tether.

Addresses that hold cryptocurrency. Instead of random alphanumeric strings, however, users with vanity addresses can choose specific words and phrases for their addresses, similar to vanity license plates,

An individual that invests in an emerging project with the hopes of earning a large return on their investment when the project succeeds.

A measure used to describe the rate at which currency is exchanged from transaction to transaction.

Software or devices that contain public and private keys for storing cryptocurrencies

A very wealthy individual capable of making large trades.

A list of registered and approved participants in an ICO. Whitelists are used to exclude non-accredited investors in order to better comply with regulations.

eXtensive Business Reporting Language. A language for defining and exchanging financial data that makes extracting useful data from a large body of data easier.

The native currency of Monero.

Even millions of dollars worth of security won't protect an individual if someone threatens to hit them with a $5 wrench unless they give up their passwords. The best defense is keeping quiet about your cryptocurrency holdings.

A hypothetical attack in which a malicious individual gains control of more than half of a cryptocurrency’s hashing power and is then able to re-write old blocks, allowing double-spend.

A cryptocurrency that uses the Bitcoin protocol but offers increased anonymity in transactions.