The shorthand form of Cryptocurrency.
Crypto
Cypherpunks
Advocates of using strong encryption to evade government spying. Cypherpunks were heavily involved in the early development of Bitcoin.
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.
Central Ledger
An irreversible list of all transactions that have ever occurred on a platform.
Cryptographic Hash Function
A method of encoding inputs to create unique outputs, especially for creating digital fingerprints.
Casascius Coins
No longer in production, these were physical coins created by Mike Caldwell that have private Bitcoin keys.
Coin
A cryptocurrency that relies solely on its own technology to function.
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.
Circulating Supply
The volume of coins being held and spent at a given time for a given cryptocurrency.
Cloud Computing
The usage of remote servers (rather than personal computers) to store, manage, and process data.
Cryptocurrency
Digital currency that uses cryptography. Bitcoin & Altcoins are all types of cryptocurrency.
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.
Cryptography
Code making, breaking and studying.
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.
Coin Control
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.
Coinbase (Exchange)
The first exchange that allowed individuals to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
Cold Wallet
An offline wallet for holding cryptocurrencies. Considered more secure than hot wallets.
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.
