A programming language used to create smart contracts.
Solidity
Seed
A type of password that an individual can use to recover their wallet.
Sharding
The process by which a full database is split into smaller databases called shards. Sharding helps with the scalability of cryptocurrencies.
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.
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.
SmartBridge
A feature of the ARK cryptocurrency which allows separate blockchains to connect with each other and communicate.
Self-Executing Contract
Smart Contract. An agreement between two parties that carries itself out once its terms are met.
Satoshi Nakamoto
The anonymous person or group that created Bitcoin.
Stablecoin
Any cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset for the purpose of reducing price volatility.
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.
Scam
A fraudulent endeavor. In the cryptocurrency world, this often refers to the practice of fooling investors in some way.
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.
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.
Scamcoin
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.
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.
Signature
A mathematical mechanism for combining a public address with a private address to ensure authenticity and prevent forging.
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.
Staking Rewards
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.
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.
Signaling
An indication of support for a feature, often sent out by miners to inform the general public of their opinion.
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.
Scalability
A measure of how easily a cryptocurrency will be able to handle more users and increased transactions.
Small Blocker
An individual who believes that the blocks in Bitcoin should be kept small so that anyone can run a full node.
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.
Smart Media Token
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.
Soft Cap
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.
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.
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).
Speculator
An individual who predicts future prices of assets and makes bets based on their predictions.
SmartCoins
Price-stable cryptocurrencies that achieve stability through pegging their value to another asset, like the US dollar.
Shapeshift
A popular exchange service created by Eric Voorhees that allows individuals to trade most altcoins anonymously for a small fee.
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."
Shitcoin
A derogatory term used to describe altcoins that are based on faulty technology or have little promise for the future.
Supercomputer
A computer that is far more powerful than an ordianry computer due to its superior performance.
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.
Supply Chains
All processes involved in delivering products and services from their providers to their customers.
SHA-256
Secure Hash Algorithm 256. An algorithm used by some Proof of Work consensus mechanisms (most notably, Bitcoin's).
SwiftTX
A feature of PIVX that allows users to complete transactions instantly without needing to wait for confirmations.
Smart Contracts
Agreements between two parties that self-execute when their terms are met and automatically cancel when their terms are not met.
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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.
