No results found 
a
Accredited Investor
An investor who has a net worth of over $1 million and/or an annual salary over $200,000-300,000.
Address
A unique, alphanumeric identifier used as destination for transferring cryptocurrencies.
AI | Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence. As machines advance in intelligence, they are capable of learning from their environments and completing more complex tasks.
Airdrop
An event in which individuals that hold existing cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin and Ethereum) are given tokens of a new cryptocurrency.
Algorithm
A process for solving a mathematical problem. In blockchains consensus algorithms are used to verify transactions.
Altcoin
Alternative Coin. Bitcoin is known as the first and foremost cryptocurrency, so any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin is an altcoin.
AML
Anti-Money Laundering. AML laws and restrictions require exchanges to obtain personal information about their customers and their activities.
Andreas Antonopoulos
A famous advocate of Bitcoin who has given speeches and presentations about Bitcoin all over the world.
Angel Investor
Wealthy individuals who contribute significant funds (usually over $1,000,000) to emerging projects.
API
Application Programmer Interface. A type of toolkit provided for developers for creating applications.
APR
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. It's the interest rate charged during a whole year. For example: borrow $1,000 at 10% APR means at the end of the year you'll pay back $1,100. The extra $100 may be split into 12 payments, once per month, if that is how the creditor asks for them.
Arbitrage
The practice of buying and selling the same coins on different exchanges at the same time to take advantage of price differences.
Arbitrageur
An experienced investor who profits from differences in prices across exchanges.
ASIC Miners
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.
ASIC-Resistant
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.
ATH
All-Time High. The highest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached.
ATL
All-Time Low. The lowest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached.
Atomic Swap
The exchange of one coin or token for another coin or token that takes place without the need for a third party. Atomic Swaps rely on smart contracts to ensure both parties hold up their end of the agreement.
b
Backtest
Backtesting is the method of running your trading strategy on historical data to find out how well it would have performed.
Bag Holder
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."
Bankroll
The amount of money one has available to him/her.
Batched transaction
A transaction that combines multiple transactions into one for increased efficiency and decreased fees.
Bear
A trader or speculator who believes cryptocurrency prices will fall.
Bear Market
A market in which most (or all) prices are falling.
Bear Trap
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.”
Bearish
Pessimistic about the future of a cryptocurrency’s price.
Big Blocker
An individual who believes that increasing Bitcoin’s block size would improve its scalability. Roger Ver is the most notable Big Blocker.
BIP
Bitcoin Improvement Protocol. New feature proposed for Bitcoin are BIPs.
Bit
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.
Bitcoin
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.
Bitcoin Cash
The first successful hard fork of Bitcoin that allows the protocol to grow and scale by removing its block size limit.
Bitcoin Core
The original Bitcoin wallet, considered to be among the safest wallets available.
Bitcoin Network
The first blockchain-based peer-to-peer protocol that allows its users to store and transfer wealth.
Bitcoin Protocol
The first blockchain-based network that allows its users to store and transfer wealth.
Bitcoin.org
The unofficial website of Bitcoin Core.
BitcoinJS
A new version of the Bitcoin Protocol developed using the Javascript programming language.
BitcoinTalk
A forum of myriad boards where enthusiasts and experts alike can go to discuss various cryptocurrency related topics.
Bitconnect
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.
Bitmain
The largest distributor of ASIC miners, run by Jihan Wu.
Block
A segment of data recorded on the blockchain that can contain transactions and other information.
Block Explorer
Websites (available for most cryptocurrencies) that allow users to search an address or transaction ID to view its details.
Block Reward
The payment given to a miner for securing a blockchain that uses POW (Proof-of-Work) consensus
Block Size
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.
Block time
The time it takes to mine a new block.
Blockchain
A digital, distributed ledger which contains data for all the transactions that have ever taken place using a given cryptocurrency.
Blockchain 2.0
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.
Blockchain Bloat
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.
Blockstream
A company led by cypherpunk Adam Back that promotes second layer scaling solutions for Bitcoin.
BNB
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.
Bollinger Bands
A tool used to identify moments when an asset's price is relatively high or relatively low to inform trading decisions.
Brave
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.
BTC
Bitcoin’s ticker symbol.
Bull
A trader or speculator who believes cryptocurrency prices will rise.
Bull Market
A market in which most (or all) prices are rising.
Bull Trap
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.”
Bullish
Optimistic about the future of a cryptocurrency’s price.
Burn
A mechanism that destroys an amount of coins or tokens, thereby decreasing the total coin supply of a cryptocurrency.
c
Casascius Coins
No longer in production, these were physical coins created by Mike Caldwell that have private Bitcoin keys.
Central Ledger
An irreversible list of all transactions that have ever occurred on a platform.
Centralized
Controlled by one group or within one certain area.
Change Address
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.
Circulation
Free movement of coins between individuals.
Cloud Computing
The usage of remote servers (rather than personal computers) to store, manage, and process data.
Coin
A cryptocurrency that relies solely on its own technology to function.
Coinbase (Exchange)
The first exchange that allowed individuals to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
Cold Storage
In the cryptocurrency sphere this term refers to storing cryptocurrency in a location that is offline and thus inaccessible by anyone on the internet.
Cold Wallet
An offline wallet for holding cryptocurrencies. Considered more secure than hot wallets.
Collateral
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.
Confirmations
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.
Consensus
A general agreement among participants using and mining a cryptocurrency.
Crypto
The shorthand form of Cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency
Digital currency that uses cryptography. Bitcoin & Altcoins are all types of cryptocurrency.
Cryptography
Code making, breaking and studying.
Cypherpunk’s Manifesto
A paper written by Eric Huges that outlines Cypherpunks’ philosophy and vision. This Manifesto was a big influence on many early cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
Cypherpunks
Advocates of using strong encryption to evade government spying. Cypherpunks were heavily involved in the early development of Bitcoin.
d
DAG
Directed Acyclic Graphs. Also referred to as “Tangle.” DAG is an alternative to the “chain of blocks” architecture used in many crypto projects.
DAO
Decentralized Autonomous Organization. An organization governed by smart contracts founded to allocate funds to cryptocurrency projects.
dApps
Distributed Apps. Applications without centralized control.
Darknet
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.
Days Destroyed
A metric for measuring bitcoin inactivity. Each day a Bitcoin remains unspent is another day added to its total number of Days Destroyed.
DDoS
Distributed Denial of Service. A means by which a malicious individual shuts down another individual's internet connection by overloading it with requests.
DDoS Attack
Distributed Denial of Service Attack. A means by which a malicious individual shuts down another individual's internet connection by overloading it with requests.
Decentralized
Distributed amongst its users rather than controlled by one group or within one certain area.
Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF)
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.
Deepweb
Parts of the Internet that are not accessible through ordinary means, like search engines.
DeFi
DeFi stands for Decentralized Finance. DeFi is a new financial system based on the use of decentralized blockchains and smart contracts to create new types of financial products.
Deflation
The limiting or decreasing of a cryptocurrency's supply, which usually drives its price up.
Delegated Byzantine Fault Tolerance
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.
Demurrage
A tax on cryptocurrency holdings that encourages spending coins because they are constantly being destroyed.
Desktop Client
An application created to run on a user's PC.
Desktop Wallet
Software that allows its users the ability to store cryptocurrency on their personal computer.
DEX
Decentralized exchange. A platform (which isn't controlled by any single authority) that allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
Dice
An over/under guessing game that uses random number generators to output results, allowing individuals to bet using cryptocurrencies.
Difficulty
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.
Digital Asset
Any non-physical object of value, like a document, an audio file, or a logo, that can be owned and controlled.
Digital Asset Array
DAA. A collection or portfolio of assorted cryptocurrencies. For example, one Digital Asset Array could contain BTC, ETH, and DASH.
Digital Identity
A set of data used to represent an entity on a network or on the Internet.
Digital Signature
A unique, encrypted output that cannot be duplicated. Useful for creating digital identities and confirming authenticity.
Distributed Autonomous Company
An organization that operates to earn profits for its shareholders (coin holders) by creating value for the free market.
Distributed Ledger
A list of transactions that exists on every computer that elects to run blockchain software.
Distributed Network
Uses nodes spread out across many different locations to achieve decentralization.
Dogecoin
A cryptocurrency that uses the “Doge” meme with a cult-like following.
Double Spend
A famous problem that occurs when cryptocurrency is spent more than once. Miners and transaction finality ensure that double-spend cannot occur.
DPoS
Delegated Proof of Stake. A consensus mechanism that has a blockchain's nodes vote on the correct version of the blockchain.
Dump
The act of selling cryptocurrency.
Dust Transactions
Transfers of value that are too small to be sent due to the proportionately high fee incurred.
Dynamic Reserve Pool
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.
e
Encryption
Transforming data into unrecognizable code that can only be decoded with the exact decryption key.
Ephemeral Layer
An extremely secure messaging functionality offered by QRL.
ERC20
The predominant standard for creating smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Others may include ERC 721, ERC888, and more
ERC20 Token
A token issued on the Ethereum platform.
Escrow
A third party used to facilitate transactions and increase security.
ETF
Exchange Traded Fund. A group of assets that can be bought or sold as a single asset.
Ether (ETH)
The native tokens of the Ethereum platform. Required in order to send transactions or execute smart contracts.
Ethereum
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.
EVM
Ethereum Virtual Machine. A testing environment on the Ethereum network for executing smart contracts and promoting security.
Exchange
Online platforms on which individuals can buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
f
Fast Money
A CNBC show on which cryptocurrencies are frequently discussed.
Faucet
A website that sends users small amounts of cryptocurrency intermittently and make money by advertising other services.
Fiat
Paper money issued by governments as default currency. The US Dollar, Japenese Yen, Chinese Yuan, and Euro are all fiat currencies.
Fintech
Financial technology (Fintech) is used to describe new technologies that seek to improve the use and delivery of financial services.
FOMO
Fear of Missing Out. Investors with FOMO buy cryptocurrency (emotionally rather than logically) for fear of missing out on profits.
Forging Reward
An amount of coins paid to users for participating in PoS consensus.
Fork
A change in the original code of a software.
Fork (Soft)
A change in a cryptocurrency’s software that does not make it incompatible with the original version.
Founders’ Reward
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.
Free Society
A hypothetical society in which no one is forced to do anything against their wishes and all actions are voluntary.
Frictionless
A term used to describe the way that cryptocurrencies remove many of the inefficiencies and hassles inherent in alternative methods of transferring payment.
FUD
Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. The emotional (rather than logical) belief that cryptocurrency prices will fall.
Fundamental Analysis
The analysis of the economic and political factors that affect the intrinsic value of an asset
Fungibility
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.
g
Gas
A fee which must be paid to execute network transactions.
Github
An open-source database for developers to create and share computer coding with a large community.
GPU
Graphics Processing Unit. Hardware that can be used for mining some cryptocurrencies.
h
Halving
The process of intermittently decreasing the block reward given to cryptocurrency miners by 50%.
Hardware Wallet
A physical device that stores private keys.
Hash
Output emitted from an algorithm for maintaining consensus on a blockchain.
Hash Rate
The number of hashes a miner performs over a given period of time.
Hashgraph
Hashgraph is a consensus alternative to blockchain. It uses a gossip protocol to spread transactions across the network by sending data to randomly chosen neighbors.
Hashing Power
The power of a mining rig. Similar in concept to the Horse Power of a vehicle.
Haskell
A programming language used to develop several cryptocurrencies (including Cardano and Nanocoin).
Hedging
The act of protecting an asset from risk. A hedge can protect against losses or even offset against gains.
HODL
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.
Hodler
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”.
Hot Wallet
An online wallet for storying cryptocurrencies. Considered less secure than cold wallets.
Hybrid PoS/PoW
A consensus mechanism that employs both Proof of Stake and Proof of Work algorithms.
i
I2P
Invisible Internet Project. A network layer that facilitates anonymous, censorship-resistant communication between users.
Illiquidity
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).
Incoming Connection
A request for communication from one node to another node.
Inflation
The process of increasing a cryptocurrency's supply, which usually drives its price down.
Input
Created each time coins are sent to an address.
IoT
Internet of Things. The system that will digitally connect physical objects, making them identifiable and trackable online.
IP Address
Internet Protocol Address. A series of numbers and periods used to identify computers communicating through a network.
IPO
Initial Public Offering. An event in which a company “goes public,” selling early shares of their business in exchange for funds.
IRS
Internal Revenue Service. A US tax collection agency that demands information from cryptocurrency exchanges for various reasons.
j
JavaScript
A popular programming language.
Jihan Wu
CEO of Bitmain, the largest distributor of cryptocurrency mining machines.
k
Keylogger
Software that records every button press of an individual’s keyboard. Often used to hack into accounts by recording passwords.
KYC
Know Your Customer. Information gathered by cryptocurrency exchanges in compliance with AML (Anti Money Laundering) laws.
l
Lambo
A cryptocurrency meme, short for Lamborghinis. When investors' coins' prices go to the Moon, they can buy Lambos.
Laundry
Cryptocurrency that has had its origins intentionally obscured to hide evidence of illegal activities.
Leverage
Borrowed money used to trade assets.
Lightning Network
A network layer that functions on top of the Bitcoin blockchain and allows for a huge number of low-fee microtransactions.
Limit Order
A limit order is an order where the price is determined by the trader. The trade is only executed if the market price reaches the trader's limit price or better.
Liquidity
The measure of how quickly an asset can be exchanged for usable currency.
Litecoin
A cryptocurrency forked from Bitcoin known primarily for its decreased block time, which (theoretically) allows for faster transactions.
Long
Purchasing a coin with the expectation to sell it at a higher price sometime in the future for a profit. Basically profiting from the rising price of an asset.
LTV
LTV stands for Loan-to-value. The ratio expresses the amount of a loan compared to the value of an asset. For example: taking a $1,000 loan and putting up $2,000 worth of Bitcoin as collateral = 50% LTV. The loan is worth 50% of the bitcoin collateral securing it.
m
Machine Learning
The ability of machines and computers to integrate data and learn from it without being programmed to do so.
Margin Call
A trade in which an investor sells their position to repay the lender of a loan.
Margin Trading
The practice of borrowing money to buy and sell assets.
Market Cap
The total value of a cryptocurrency. Calculated by multiplying a coin’s price by its total supply.
Market Order
A pre-planned trade set to execute if a cryptocurrency reaches a certain price.
Masternode
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.
mBTC
A sub-unit of Bitcoin: 1000 mBTC equal 1 BTC.
McAfee
John McAfee (the creator of McAfee antivirus) is a cybersecurity mogul who is known for promoting cryptocurrency and speculating about altcoins.
Metamask
Metamask is a Chrome extension which allows users to store and transact Ethereum and other ERC-20 tokens.
Micro-transaction
A very small payment made possible with digital currencies.
Miner
An individual that volunteers computing power to verify transactions on a blockchain in exchange for block rewards.
Mining
The process by which new coins are created as transactions on a network are verified.
Mining Pool
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.
Mining Rig
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.
Minting
The process by which users on a PoS blockchain verify transactions and receive new coins for their participation.
Mixing Service
A third party that enables anonymous transactions by grouping payments together, obscuring their sources.
Mnemonic
A series of words that can be used to recover an account or wallet.
Mobile Wallet
Software that allows individuals to store their cryptocurrencies on handheld devices.
Monero
A cryptocurrency that is very popular on the Darknet because it is considered to be more anonymous than Bitcoin and similar coins.
Money Laundering
A method of intentionally obscuring the source of illegally-obtained funds.
Moon
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.
Mt. Gox
A cryptocurrency exchange led by Mark Karpeles that allegedly lost millions of dollars in user funds.
Multi-Layer
When a blockchain features several levels for scalability and encryption purposes, it can be said to be "Multi-Layered."
Multi-Signature
A feature that requires several keys to authorize a single transaction, especially for dividing responsibility among separate parties.
Multisig
A feature that requires several keys to authorize a single transaction, especially for dividing responsibility among separate parties.
MyEtherWallet
A popular online wallet that supports Ether and most ERC20 tokens.
n
Namecoin
A cryptocurrency that allows data (and transactions) to be written onto its blockchain.
NeoContracts
Digital agreements between users on NEO's platform that are carried out automatically when their terms are met.
Network Effect
The quality by which cryptocurrencies become more useful as more people use them.
NFC
Near-Field Communication. Enables devices located close to each other to transmit data without the need for internet connection.
Node
A computer that runs a cryptocurrency’s software and validates transactions.
node.js
A popular framework for JavaScript code to be written in.
Non-accredited Investor
An individual that trades cryptocurrencies but does not have a high net worth or high salary, and is not elgiible for certain investment opportunities.
Nonce
An arbitrary number that is used only once in cryptography to make replay attacks impossible.
o
Off Blockchain Transactions
Transfer of value that takes place outside of a blockchain for reduced fees and quicker transaction time.
Open Source
A term used to describe software that is made available online so that any individual can view its code and submit improvements.
Opsec
Operations Security. Refers to how well assets are protected.
Oracle
A third-party entity capable of transmitting reliable information to a blockchain so that smart-contracts can be executed.
Orphan
A block that is no longer a part of the original blockchain because it was not verified by the majority of miners.
OTC Exchange
Over The Counter Exchange, also known as Off-Exchange Trading. Trades that occur between two parties rather than using a centralized exchange.
Ouroboros
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.
Outgoing Connection
The initiator of communication on a cryptocurrency network.
Output
A grouping of addresses that receive coins in a cryptocurrency transaction.
p
P2P
Peer-to-Peer. Refers to networks in which individuals connect to each other rather than a central authority.
Paper Wallet
A physical piece of paper containing a private key, a public key, and often corresponding QR codes.
Passphrase
Similar to a password but often longer. Where a password is generally a single word -- a passphrase can be a combination of words.
Peer
If you are running a full node, a “peer” is some else also running a full node.
Peer to Peer
Decentralized networks in which individuals interact with each other directly.
Peercoin
A cryptocurrency that uses both PoW and PoS in its consensus mechanism to offer increased security.
Permissioned System
A permissioned system is a private and closed system. Not anyone can join the network freely.
Permissionless
Permissionless refers to public blockchains (like Bitcoin) - anyone can generate an address and transact BTC.
Phishing Attack
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).
Plasma
A scalability solution for Ethereum that allows more transactions per second by introducing additional blockchains to the main Ethereum blockchain.
PoI
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.
Ponzi scheme
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.
PoS
Proof of Stake. A consensus mechanism in which individuals use their holdings of a cryptocurrency to secure the platform in exchange for rewards.
PoST
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.
PoW
Proof of Work. A consensus mechanism for verifying transactions with computing power that creates new coins in the process.
Pre-Sale
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.
Privacy
Freedom from surveillance.
Private Key
Private keys are used to spend cryptocurrencies.
Proof of Burn
A consensus mechanism for verifying a blockchain in which miners send coins to an unspendable address
Proof of Existence
A process of storing information that cannot be changed or deleted.
Proof of Provenance
PoP for short. A consensus mechanism used by DigixDAO to track the movements of physical assets, identify their ownership, and ensure their security.
Pseudonymous
Pseudonymity is an almost anonymous state in which users have a unique identifier that is different from their real name.
Public Key
An address that individuals share with others to receive cryptocurrency.
Pump
A rapid rise in a cryptocurrency’s price.
Pump and Dump
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.
q
QR Code
A code containing information that can be read by a device with a camera.
Quantitative Easing
A method of increasing monetary supply (and lowering interest rates) by introducing new money to the market from a central authority.
Quantum Computing
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.
Quantum Resistant Tokens
QRTs. Customizable tokens that can be created using Quantum Resistant Ledger. QRTs are resistant to attacks from quantum computing.
r
A site that aggregates a nearly endless range of topics. Subreddits exist within Reddit to focus on specific topics.
Remittance
Transfer of currency across a large distance, usually across borders.
Reserve Manager
An individual that contributes their tokens to Kyber Network's Dynamic Reserve Pool to improve the platform's liquidity.
RFID Chips
Radio Frequency Identification chips. RFID chips are attached to physical objects to make them easier to identify and track.
Ripple
A platform that connects banks, payment providers, and digital asset exchanges to provide frictionless transactions.
RNG
RNG refers to 'Random Number Generator," which is the technological device responsible for producing random results, based on a game's established Return to Player (RTP) percentage. It is designed to avoid bias.
Roadmap
A plan that sets goals and deadlines for a project's future development.
Roger Ver
Often referred to as Bitcoin Jesus, he was the first major Bitcoin and cryptocurrency investor.
s
Satoshi
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.
Satoshi Nakamoto
The anonymous person or group that created Bitcoin.
Scalability
A measure of how easily a cryptocurrency will be able to handle more users and increased transactions.
Scam
A fraudulent endeavor. In the cryptocurrency world, this often refers to the practice of fooling investors in some way.
Scrypt
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.
SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commision. A regulatory US agency responsible for the investigation and shut down of several cryptocurrency-related projects.
Security
A financial instrument (stock, bond, etc) that has monetary value and can be bought, sold, and traded.
Seed
A type of password that an individual can use to recover their wallet.
SegWit
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.
Self-custody
Self-custody means only you hold and have access to your digital assets. This means that you choose not to use a third party, and will manage your private key yourself.
Self-Executing Contract
Smart Contract. An agreement between two parties that carries itself out once its terms are met.
SHA-256
Secure Hash Algorithm 256. An algorithm used by some Proof of Work consensus mechanisms (most notably, Bitcoin's).
Shapeshift
A popular exchange service created by Eric Voorhees that allows individuals to trade most altcoins anonymously for a small fee.
Sharding
The process by which a full database is split into smaller databases called shards. Sharding helps with the scalability of cryptocurrencies.
Shill
Typically a person posing as a legitimate user of a product but who is, in fact, being paid or otherwise compensated to promote said product.
Short
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.
Sidechain
A platform that functions alongside 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.
Signaling
An indication of support for a feature, often sent out by miners to inform the general public of their opinion.
Signature
A mathematical mechanism for combining a public address with a private address to ensure authenticity and prevent forging.
Silk Road
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.
Smart Contracts
Agreements between two parties that self-execute when their terms are met and automatically cancel when their terms are not met.
Solidity
A programming language used to create smart contracts.
Speculator
An individual who predicts future prices of assets and makes bets based on their predictions.
SPV mode
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).
Stablecoin
Any cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset for the purpose of reducing price volatility.
Staker
An individual that volunteers to lock some of their coins or tokens up to verify transactions on a blockchain in exchange for staking rewards.
Staking
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.
Stale Block
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.
Stop Order
A stop order, or stop-loss order, is an order to buy or sell a stock once the price of the stock reaches a specified price, known as the stop price.
Subchain
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."
Supercomputer
A computer that is far more powerful than an ordianry computer due to its superior performance.
Supply Chains
All processes involved in delivering products and services from their providers to their customers.
SwiftTX
A feature of PIVX that allows users to complete transactions instantly without needing to wait for confirmations.
t
Taint
A measure that describes the strength of association between an address and earlier transaction addresses.
Tangle
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).
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A set of protocols that allow multiple computers to communicate.
Testnet
An identical version of a protocol that uses fake money to discover bugs without the consequences such bugs would have on a Mainnet protocol.
Tether
In the cryptocurrency sphere a Tether is a type of coin. This coin is ‘tethered’ or paired 1-to-1 with the U.S. Dollar.
Timestamp
A sequence of numbers used to identify the moment in time that a transaction occurred.
Token
A cryptocurrency created using another platform (like Ethereum). Tokens operate by using the technology of the platform on which they were created.
Tokenize
The practice of creating digital assets that represent real-world physical assets.
TOR
The Onion Router. A web browser that allows users anonymous access to darknet sites.
Total Coin Supply
A measure that describes how many coins of a given cryptocurrency can exist (after all mining is completed, if applicable).
TPS
Transactions per second. A measure which describes how fast a cryptocurrency can handle its users' transactions.
Trade Volume
A measure of how frequently and how heavily a cryptocurrency is bought and/or sold during a given time period.
Trader
An individual who buys and sells cryptocurrency.
TradFi
TradFi is short for Traditional Finance. It refers to traditional retail, commercial, and investment banks, and FinTechs.
Trading bot
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.
Transaction Fee
An amount of value that must be paid to transfer value on a blockchain.
Trezor
The first hardware wallet, created by a Bitcoiner called “Slush.”
Trustless
The ability of a system to be trusted without the need of trusting the individuals with which you are transacting.
Turing Completeness
A computing system that can perform a whole set of computational functions is considered “Turing Complete.”
Two-Factor Authentication
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.
Tx
Transaction.
u
UIA
User-Issued Assets, Tokens that can be created on the BitShares network.
Unbanked
An adult person without an account at a bank or other financial institution.
Unstoppable Code
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.
USDT
The acronym for stable coins issued by Tether Limited: U.S. Dollar Tether.
UTXO
Unspent transaction output. For example, if an individual receives 1 BTC and holds it, they possess a UTXO.
v
Velocity of Money
A measure used to describe the rate at which currency is exchanged from transaction to transaction.
Venture Capitalist
An individual that invests in an emerging project with the hopes of earning a large return on their investment when the project succeeds.
Virgin Coins
Coins which haven’t ever been spent. Virgin coins were mined and left alone.
Vitalik Buterin
A highly respected programmer responsible for writing Ethereum's white paper and co-creating Ethereum's technology.
Volatility
A measure that describes how rapidly an asset tends to fluctuate in price.
w
Wallet
Software or devices that contain public and private keys for storing cryptocurrencies
Wallet.dat
The filename which stores public and private keys for a full node.
Whale
A very wealthy individual capable of making large trades.
White Paper
A technical document that outlines a project’s features, technology, and vision.
Whitelist (ICOs)
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.
Wire Transfer
An electronic transaction in which value is sent from one party to another.
x
XBRL Data
eXtensive Business Reporting Language. A language for defining and exchanging financial data that makes extracting useful data from a large body of data easier.
XBT
Ticker for Bitcoin used on Kraken and some other exchanges. Same as BTC.
XMR
The native currency of Monero.
z
Z-Score Formula
A formula that uses data to make predictions about how financially secure businesses are.
Zero Confirmation Transaction
Payment that has been broadcast but is still pending inclusion on a blockchain.
Zk-SNARKs
Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge. Zk-SNARKs is a technology which allows cryptocurrencies to shield transaction information from uninvolved parties.
#
$5 Wrench Attack
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.
2FA
Two Factor Authentication. A protective measure that uses one-time passwords to prevent keyloggers from gaining unauthorized access to accounts.
51% Attack
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.