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

A unique, private alphanumeric identifier used to access and transfer cryptocrruency. 

All-Time High. The highest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached.

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.

Bitcoin’s ticker symbol.

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.”  

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

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.

The unofficial website of Bitcoin Core.

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

Optimistic about the future of a cryptocurrency’s price.

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

A trader or speculator who believes cryptocurrency prices will fall.

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.

Digital money that uses cryptography.

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.

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. 

Cryptocurrency.

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

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.

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

Uses nodes spread out across many different locations to achieve decentralization.

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

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

A token issued on the Ethereum platform.

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 fee which must be paid to execute network transactions.

A physical device that stores private keys.

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

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.

Created each time coins are sent to an address.

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

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

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

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

A cryptocurrency meme, short for Lamborghinis. When investors' coins' prices go to the Moon, they can buy Lambos.

The total value of a cryptocurrency. Calculated by multiplying a coin’s price by its total supply.

The version of a protocol that uses real money. A cryptocurrency is generally considered to be “live” after the first Mainnet block (the genesis block) is mined.

John McAfee (the creator of McAfee antivirus) is a cybersecurity mogul who is known for promoting cryptocurrency and speculating about altcoins.

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.

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 process by which new coins are created as transactions on a network are verified.

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

A block that is no longer a part of the original blockchain because it was not verified by the majority of miners.

The initiator of communication on a cryptocurrency network.

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

Decentralized networks in which individuals interact with each other directly.

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).

PoS. A method of minting new coins and securing a platform by allowing users to stake their coins and receive more coins as a reward. Introduced as an energy efficient alternative to PoW (Proof of Work).

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.

Private addresses used to spend cryptocurrencies.

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

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

A rapid rise in a cryptocurrency’s price.

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

An identical version of a protocol that uses fake money to discover bugs without the consequences such bugs would have on a Mainnet protocol.

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.

Unspent transaction output. For example, if an individual receives 1 BTC and holds it, they possess a UTXO.

The pseudonym of the original creator(s) of Bitcoin. Also the smallest sub-unit Bitcoin can be divided into: 1 Satoshi = 1/100,000,000 of a Bitcoin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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.

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

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

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

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

A measure of how much hashing power (computing power) is required to find the next block on a blockchain. Difficulty increases over time on blockchains.

Ethereum Virtual Machine. A testing environment on the Ethereum network for executing smart contracts and promoting security.

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

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

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

Secure Hash Algorithm 256. An algorithm used by some Proof of Work consensus mechanisms (most notably, Bitcoin's).

A programming language used to create smart contracts.

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

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

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

A Bitcoin wallet that gives its users an aesthetically pleasing interface while still employing the core Bitcoin protocol.

An aspect of the Darkcoin crpytocurrency that allows users to make anonymous transactions.

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

The limiting or decreasing of a cryptocurrency's supply, which usually drives its price up.

Online platforms on which individuals can buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

Software that allows its users the ability to store cryptocurrency on their personal computer.

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

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

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

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

Borrowed money used to trade assets.

The measure of how quickly an asset can be exchanged for usable currency.

The practice of borrowing money to buy and sell assets.

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

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

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

Software that allows individuals to store their cryptocurrencies on handheld devices.

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

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

An arbitrary number that is used only once in cryptography to make replay attacks impossible.

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

Payment that has been broadcast but is still pending inclusion on a blockchain.

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 that describes how rapidly an asset tends to fluctuate in price.

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

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

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

Transfer of currency across a large distance, usually across borders.

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

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

A platform that function alongside of an existing blockchain protocol, allowing transactions to occur off of the main blockchain. Sidechains can be customized to allow features like faster transaction time and increased anonymity.

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.

A consensus mechanism for verifying a blockchain in which miners send coins to an unspendable address

A digital, distributed ledger which contains data for all the transactions that have ever taken place using a given cryptocurrency.

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

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

A measure of how frequently and how heavily a cryptocurrency is bought and/or sold during a given time period. 

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

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

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

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

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 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.

A popular programming language.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 ability of machines and computers to integrate data and learn from it without being programmed to do so.

Internet Protocol Address. A series of numbers and periods used to identify computers communicating through a network.

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). 

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

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

A feature which allows KyberNetwork to maintain high levels of liquidity. The DRP keeps reserves of cryptocurrencies and establishes rates of exchange between them, allowing any user to easily trade one crypto for another.

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

QRTs. Customizable tokens that can be created using Quantum Resistant Ledger. QRTs are resistant to attacks from quantum computing.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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

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