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

Alternative Coin. Bitcoin is known as the first and foremost cryptocurrency, so any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin is an altcoin.

An investor who has a net worth of over $1 million and/or an annual salary over $200,000-300,000.

An event in which individuals that hold existing cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin and Ethereum) are given tokens of a new cryptocurrency.

Wealthy individuals who contribute significant funds (usually over $1,000,000) to emerging projects.

The practice of buying and selling the same coins on different exchanges at the same time to take advantage of price differences.

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 short drop in a cryptocurrency’s price that makes investors think the price will continue falling. Instead, the price rises significantly following the drop, fooling the “bears.”  

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.

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.

Pessimistic about the future of a cryptocurrency’s price.

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

A blockchain scaling solution in which every user account has its own blockchain. Block lattices reduce blockchain bloat by storing transaction data separately from a cryptocurrency's main blockchain.

A market in which most (or all) prices are falling.

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

The amount of money one has available to him/her.

The unofficial website of Bitcoin Core.

The amount of data that can be stored in one block of a given blockchain. For example, the Block Size limit of Bitcoin is 1MB. Larger block size allows for more transactions per block. Thus, it’s not that transactions are “faster” or “slower”. It’s that transactions may be seemingly faster because the network is handling more transactions at a time.

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 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.

An individual who believes that increasing Bitcoin’s block size would improve its scalability. Roger Ver is the most notable Big Blocker.

The first blockchain-based peer-to-peer protocol that allows its users to store and transfer wealth.

A condition that affects cryptocurrencies when the data stored reaches very large sizes due to increasing numbers of users and transactions. When blockchain bloat gets severe, transaction speed suffers.

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.

The time it takes to mine a new block.

Optimistic about the future of a cryptocurrency’s price.

A tool used to identify moments when an asset's price is relatively high or relatively low to inform trading decisions.

The shorthand form of Cryptocurrency. 

A paper written by Eric Huges that outlines Cypherpunks’ philosophy and vision. This Manifesto was a big influence on many early cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

An irreversible list of all transactions that have ever occurred on a platform.

A method of encoding inputs to create unique outputs, especially for creating digital fingerprints.

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.

Digital currency that uses cryptography. Bitcoin & Altcoins are all types of cryptocurrency. 

An aspect of the Bitcoin Core wallet that allows users to specify which coins they wish to spend and which Change Addresses any remaining balance will be sent to.

A trade on a popular cryptocurrency exchange.

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

Free movement of coins between individuals.

A general agreement among participants using and mining a cryptocurrency.

Distributed Denial of Service Attack. A means by which a malicious individual shuts down another individual's internet connection by overloading it with requests.

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). 

Any non-physical object of value, like a document, an audio file, or a logo, that can be owned and controlled.

Parts of the Internet that are not accessible through ordinary means, like search engines.

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

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

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

DAA. A collection or portfolio of assorted cryptocurrencies. For example, one Digital Asset Array could contain BTC, ETH, and DASH.

A tax on cryptocurrency holdings that encourages spending coins because they are constantly being destroyed.

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

Software for storing cryptocurrency that offers decreased risk of losing funds because of its ability to generate unlimited addresses from a single starting point, or "seed."

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

The act of selling cryptocurrency.

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

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

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

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

Online platforms on which individuals can buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

A third party used to facilitate transactions and increase security.

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

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

A website that sends users small amounts of cryptocurrency intermittently and make money by advertising other services.

Paper money issued by governments as default currency. The US Dollar, Japenese Yen, Chinese Yuan, and Euro are all fiat currencies.

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 change in a cryptocurrency’s software that makes it incompatible with the original version. For example, any block size increase in the Bitcoin protocol constitutes a hard fork.

A change in the original code of a software.

An amount of coins paid to users for participating in PoS consensus.

A fee which must be paid to execute network transactions.

Graphics Processing Unit. Hardware that can be used for mining some cryptocurrencies.

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.

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.

A programming language used to develop several cryptocurrencies (including Cardano and Nanocoin).

A consensus mechanism that employs both Proof of Stake and Proof of Work algorithms.

The maximum amount of money a cryptocurrency’s founders will accept while raising money in exchange for early coins on their platform.

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

A request for communication from one node to another node.

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

Internal Revenue Service. A US tax collection agency that demands information from cryptocurrency exchanges for various reasons.

Initial Public Offering. An event in which a company “goes public,” selling early shares of their business in exchange for funds.

A feature of Komodo that offers its users private payments. Jumblr works by exchanging the cryptocurrency being used for payment and mixing it among other cryptos prior to the making an anonymous transaction.

A popular programming language.

Know Your Customer. Information gathered by cryptocurrency exchanges in compliance with AML (Anti Money Laundering) laws.

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.

A trade in which an investor sells their position to repay the lender of a loan.

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

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

A sub-unit of Bitcoin: 1000 mBTC equal 1 BTC.

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 fee paid to voluntary participants for using their computing power to verify transactions. When a miner mines a block they get a block reward as well as all the transaction fees in it.

The practice of borrowing money to buy and sell assets.

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

The process of allowing two different cryptocurrencies using the same consensus algorithm to be mined simultaneously. 

A very small payment made possible with digital currencies.

Groups of miners that work together, combining their computing power to mine blocks and proportionally split profits.

A cryptocurrency exchange led by Mark Karpeles that allegedly lost millions of dollars in user funds.

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

A third party that enables anonymous transactions by grouping payments together, obscuring their sources.

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.

Digital agreements between users on NEO's platform that are carried out automatically when their terms are met.

The quality by which cryptocurrencies become more useful as more people use them.

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. 

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

Over The Counter Exchange, also known as Off-Exchange Trading. Trades that occur between two parties rather than using a centralized exchange.

Cardano's Proof-of-stake algorithm. It is used to randomly pick the next node to produce a block in. Ouroboros divides physical time into epochs, and then slots. Slot leaders have the sole right to produce one block and are chosen from the group of stakeholders.

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

The initiator of communication on a cryptocurrency network.

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.

Peer-to-Peer. Refers to networks in which individuals connect to each other rather than a central authority.

A scalability solution for Ethereum that allows more transactions per second by introducing additional blockchains to the main Ethereum blockchain. 

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

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).

Pseudonymity is an almost anonymous state in which users have a unique identifier that is different from their real name.

A permissioned system is a private and closed system. Not anyone can join the network freely.

A portion of the total supply of a cryptocurrency reserved for its founders. These funds are often marked as funds to pay developers or fund future ventures, but cryptocurencies with premines are generally viewed as less legitimate and fair those without premines.

A public or private offering of tokens to interested investors, generally offering a cheaper price than the coin’s ICO price. Pre-sales are commonly seen as marketing gimmicks.

Proof of Stake. A consensus mechanism in which individuals use their holdings of a cryptocurrency to secure the platform in exchange for rewards.

Freedom from surveillance.

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

The consensus algorithm introduced by Bitcoin. PoW requires miners to compete against each other to add new block and earn rewards.

An address that individuals share with others to receive cryptocurrency.  

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.

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

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.

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

Often referred to as Bitcoin Jesus, he was the first major Bitcoin and cryptocurrency investor.

A platform that connects banks, payment providers, and digital asset exchanges to provide frictionless transactions.

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

A plan that sets goals and deadlines for a project's future development.

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).

A feature of the ARK cryptocurrency which allows separate blockchains to connect with each other and communicate.

A memory-intensive hash function designed discourage hacking attempts by requiring large amounts of RAM. It is used by Litecoin, as an alternative to SHA-256.

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

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.

All processes involved in delivering products and services from their providers to their customers.

A measure of how easily a cryptocurrency will be able to handle more users and increased transactions.

A feature of PIVX that allows users to complete transactions instantly without needing to wait for confirmations.

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

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

A block that has been worked on by a miner but is not included in the blockchain because another miner successfully completes another block first.

The act of locking up one's coins or tokens to help verify transactions for cryptocurrencies with Proof of Stake consensus mechanisms. Stakers earn staking rewards for providing this service.

Any cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset for the purpose of reducing price volatility.

A fraudulent endeavor. In the cryptocurrency world, this often refers to the practice of fooling investors in some way.

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

An online black market on the Darknet best known as a place individuals could buy and sell illegal goods and services. One of the first communities to use Bitcoin as currency.

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

An individual who believes that the blocks in Bitcoin should be kept small so that anyone can run a full node.  

Commonly known as 2FA. A measure of security used for protecting accounts. 2FA requires users to have not only a username and a password to login, but an extra piece of information, as well.

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

An individual who buys and sells cryptocurrency.

A measure that describes the strength of association between an address and earlier transaction addresses.

The first hardware wallet, created by a Bitcoiner called “Slush.”

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.

The practice of creating digital assets that represent real-world physical assets.

A consensus method that allows users to transact anonymously and requires relatively little electricity. An alternative to PoW (Proof of Work) and PoS (Proof of Stake). 

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

Software that changes an environment irreversibly after its release. For example, once Bitcoin’s code was launched and distributed amongst many machines, it virtually could not be stopped.

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.

An electronic transaction in which value is sent from one party to another.

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.

The native currency of Monero.

Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge. Zk-SNARKs is a technology which allows cryptocurrencies to shield transaction information from uninvolved parties.

Two Factor Authentication. A protective measure that uses one-time passwords to prevent keyloggers from gaining unauthorized access to accounts.

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.