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    Crypto Glossary

    A quick-reference guide to key digital economy and blockchain terms.

    141 terms across 11 categories

    Term of the Day

    Metadata

    Web3
    Builder

    Additional information attached to a digital asset, such as attributes, properties, or descriptions on an NFT.

    In the NFT context, metadata defines an asset's name, description, image, and traits. It can be stored on-chain or off-chain, with implications for permanence and decentralization.

    Simple Mode
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    Topic:

    A

    Altcoin

    Basics
    Beginner

    Any digital money that isn't Bitcoin.

    Audit

    Security
    Builder

    An expert check to make sure a project's code is safe.

    AML

    Regulation
    Builder

    Rules that stop people from hiding illegal money.

    AI in Blockchain

    AI + Digital Systems
    Builder

    Using smart computer programs to make blockchain work better.

    AMM

    Economics
    Architect

    Automated trading system.

    Attack Vector

    Security
    Builder

    A way to hack a system.

    B

    Bitcoin

    Basics
    Beginner

    Digital money that works without a bank.

    Block

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    A page in the blockchain's record book.

    Blockchain

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    A shared notebook that everyone can read but nobody can erase.

    Block Reward

    Mining
    Beginner

    The crypto prize you get for helping add a new page to the blockchain.

    Bridge

    Web3
    Architect

    A connection that lets you move crypto from one blockchain to another.

    Block Height

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    How many blocks exist.

    Block Explorer

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    A search tool for blockchain data.

    Burn

    Economics
    Builder

    Destroying tokens.

    C

    Cryptocurrency

    Basics
    Beginner

    Digital money protected by secret codes.

    Consensus

    Blockchain
    Builder

    Everyone agreeing on what's true.

    Cold Wallet

    Wallets
    Beginner

    A wallet that stays offline to keep your crypto extra safe.

    Custodial Wallet

    Wallets
    Beginner

    Someone else holds the keys to your crypto for you.

    Compliance

    Regulation
    Builder

    Following the rules set by the government.

    CBDC

    Regulation
    Architect

    Digital money made by a country's government.

    Circulating Supply

    Economics
    Beginner

    Coins currently available.

    Cross-Chain

    Web3
    Builder

    Between blockchains.

    Composability

    Web3
    Architect

    DeFi apps working together like Lego pieces.

    Commitment Scheme

    Security
    Architect

    Locking in a choice without showing it yet.

    D

    Decentralization

    Basics
    Beginner

    No single person is in charge. Everyone shares control.

    Digital Asset

    Basics
    Beginner

    Something valuable that exists only on computers.

    Difficulty Adjustment

    Mining
    Builder

    The network makes puzzles harder or easier to keep things running smoothly.

    Delegated Proof of Stake

    Mining
    Architect

    People vote for trusted representatives to run the network for them.

    DeFi

    Economics
    Builder

    Banking services that run on blockchain without a bank.

    DAO

    Web3
    Builder

    A group that makes decisions together using voting on the blockchain.

    dApp

    Web3
    Builder

    An app that runs on blockchain instead of a regular server.

    DID

    Web3
    Builder

    A digital ID that you control instead of a company.

    Distributed Ledger

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    A shared database across many computers.

    Delegation

    Mining
    Builder

    Letting someone stake for you.

    DEX

    Web3
    Builder

    A crypto trading platform with no middleman.

    Digital Signature

    Security
    Builder

    A math-based signature that proves you sent something.

    E

    Encryption

    Security
    Beginner

    Scrambling information so only the right person can read it.

    Epoch

    Mining
    Architect

    A time period on the network.

    Emission Rate

    Economics
    Builder

    How fast new coins are created.

    Elliptic Curve Cryptography

    Security
    Architect

    Advanced math that keeps your crypto secure.

    F

    Fork

    Blockchain
    Architect

    When a blockchain splits into two paths because of a rule change.

    Fiat

    Economics
    Beginner

    Regular money like dollars or euros that governments create.

    Full Node

    Mining
    Builder

    A complete copy of the blockchain.

    Finality

    Blockchain
    Builder

    A confirmed transaction.

    Flash Loan

    Web3
    Architect

    A loan you borrow and pay back instantly.

    G

    Gas Fee

    Blockchain
    Builder

    A small fee you pay to use the blockchain.

    Governance

    Governance
    Architect

    How a crypto community makes decisions together.

    Governance Token

    Governance
    Builder

    A token that lets you vote on how a project is run.

    Gas Optimization

    Web3
    Architect

    Ways to make blockchain transactions cheaper.

    Genesis Block

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    The first block ever created.

    H

    HODL

    Basics
    Beginner

    Keeping your crypto instead of selling it.

    Hash

    Blockchain
    Builder

    A digital fingerprint made from data.

    Hot Wallet

    Wallets
    Beginner

    A wallet on your phone or computer that's always online.

    Hash Rate

    Mining
    Builder

    How fast all the computers in a network are working together.

    Halving

    Mining
    Builder

    When the reward for mining gets cut in half.

    Homomorphic Encryption

    Security
    Architect

    Doing math on locked data without unlocking it.

    I

    Immutability

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    Once something is written on the blockchain, it can't be changed.

    Inflation

    Economics
    Beginner

    When things get more expensive and your money buys less.

    IPFS

    Web3
    Builder

    A way to store files across many computers instead of one server.

    Interoperability

    Web3
    Builder

    Systems working together.

    Impermanent Loss

    Economics
    Architect

    Temporary loss from providing liquidity.

    K

    KYC

    Regulation
    Beginner

    Showing your ID before you can use a financial service.

    L

    Ledger

    Basics
    Beginner

    A list that keeps track of who sent what to whom.

    Layer 1

    Blockchain
    Builder

    The main blockchain that everything else is built on.

    Liquidity

    Economics
    Builder

    How quickly you can turn something into cash.

    Layer 2

    Layer 2
    Builder

    An extra layer on top of a blockchain that makes it faster and cheaper.

    Lightning Network

    Layer 2
    Builder

    A faster way to send Bitcoin using a second layer.

    Light Node

    Mining
    Builder

    A lightweight version of a node.

    Liquidity Pool

    Economics
    Builder

    Shared funds for trading.

    Lending Protocol

    Web3
    Builder

    A system that lets you lend or borrow crypto.

    Liquid Staking

    Mining
    Builder

    Staking crypto while still being able to use it.

    M

    Market Cap

    Basics
    Beginner

    How much all the coins of one type are worth together.

    Merkle Tree

    Blockchain
    Architect

    A way to quickly check that none of the data has been changed.

    Multi-Signature Wallet

    Wallets
    Builder

    A wallet that needs more than one person to approve a transaction.

    Mining

    Mining
    Beginner

    Using computers to check transactions and earn crypto as a reward.

    Mining Pool

    Mining
    Builder

    Miners working together as a team to earn rewards and split them.

    Metaverse

    Web3
    Beginner

    A virtual world where you can hang out, play, and own digital things.

    Machine Learning Model

    AI + Digital Systems
    Builder

    A computer that learns from examples to get smarter over time.

    Max Supply

    Economics
    Beginner

    Total possible coins.

    Metadata

    Web3
    Builder

    Data about data.

    Minting

    Web3
    Beginner

    Creating new tokens.

    MEV

    Mining
    Architect

    Extra money validators can earn by arranging transactions smartly.

    MPC Wallet

    Wallets
    Architect

    A wallet where the key is split between multiple people for safety.

    N

    Nonce

    Blockchain
    Builder

    A special number miners guess to solve a blockchain puzzle.

    Non-Custodial Wallet

    Wallets
    Builder

    You are the only one with the keys to your crypto.

    Node

    Mining
    Builder

    A computer that helps keep the blockchain running.

    NFT

    Web3
    Beginner

    A one-of-a-kind digital item that proves you own it.

    O

    Oracle

    Web3
    Architect

    A bridge that brings real-world information to the blockchain.

    On-Chain Analytics

    AI + Digital Systems
    Architect

    Studying blockchain data to understand what's happening on the network.

    Oracle

    Web3
    Builder

    A bridge that brings outside information to blockchain apps.

    P

    Peer-to-Peer (P2P)

    Basics
    Beginner

    Sending something directly to another person, no middleman.

    Proof of Stake

    Blockchain
    Builder

    People who put up their own crypto as a promise to be honest get to help run the network.

    Private Key

    Wallets
    Beginner

    Your secret password for your crypto. Never share it.

    Public Key

    Wallets
    Beginner

    Your crypto address. Safe to share so people can send you money.

    Phishing

    Security
    Beginner

    A trick to steal your passwords by pretending to be someone you trust.

    Proof of Work

    Mining
    Builder

    Miners solve hard puzzles to prove they did the work to earn rewards.

    Proposal

    Governance
    Builder

    An idea someone shares with the community for a vote.

    Protocol

    Blockchain
    Builder

    The rules of the network.

    R

    Rug Pull

    Security
    Beginner

    When creators of a project run away with everyone's money.

    Rollup

    Layer 2
    Architect

    A way to bundle many transactions together to save space and cost.

    Restaking

    Mining
    Architect

    Using your staked crypto to secure more than one network.

    Ring Signature

    Security
    Architect

    A group signature where no one knows who signed.

    S

    Satoshi

    Basics
    Beginner

    The tiniest piece of a Bitcoin, like a penny to a dollar.

    Smart Contract

    Blockchain
    Builder

    A digital agreement that runs itself automatically.

    Seed Phrase

    Wallets
    Beginner

    Special words that let you recover your wallet if you lose it.

    Social Engineering

    Security
    Beginner

    Tricking people into sharing secrets by being sneaky.

    Scarcity

    Economics
    Beginner

    When there's only a limited amount of something.

    Stablecoin

    Economics
    Builder

    Crypto that tries to stay worth the same amount, like $1.

    Supply Cap

    Economics
    Beginner

    The limit on how many coins can ever be made.

    Sidechain

    Layer 2
    Architect

    A separate chain connected to the main one to handle extra work.

    State Channel

    Layer 2
    Builder

    A private conversation between two people that only shares the final result with everyone.

    Securities Law

    Regulation
    Architect

    Laws about how certain types of financial products can be sold.

    Sanction

    Regulation
    Builder

    Rules that block certain people or countries from using financial systems.

    Slashing

    Mining
    Architect

    A penalty for bad behavior.

    Slippage

    Economics
    Builder

    Price change during a trade.

    Sharding

    Layer 2
    Architect

    Splitting the network.

    Stablecoin

    Economics
    Beginner

    Crypto that stays the same price.

    Staking Rewards

    Mining
    Beginner

    Earnings you get for helping secure the network.

    T

    Token

    Basics
    Beginner

    A digital item that can stand for something valuable.

    Timestamp

    Blockchain
    Beginner

    A digital clock stamp showing when something happened.

    Two-Factor Authentication

    Security
    Beginner

    Using two ways to prove it's really you, like a password plus a code on your phone.

    Tokenomics

    Economics
    Architect

    The rules about how a cryptocurrency's money system works.

    Treasury

    Governance
    Architect

    A shared piggy bank that the community decides how to spend.

    TVL

    Economics
    Builder

    How much money is stored in a DeFi app.

    Trusted Setup

    Security
    Architect

    A special one-time process to make a privacy system work.

    U

    Utility

    Economics
    Beginner

    What something is used for.

    Unbonding Period

    Mining
    Builder

    The time you wait to get your staked crypto back.

    V

    Validator

    Blockchain
    Builder

    Someone who checks that transactions are real and earns rewards for it.

    Volatility

    Economics
    Beginner

    How much a price goes up and down.

    Vesting

    Economics
    Builder

    Locked tokens over time.

    Voting

    Governance
    Builder

    Choosing decisions.

    Validator Set

    Mining
    Architect

    The team of computers checking the blockchain.

    W

    Whitepaper

    Basics
    Beginner

    A document that explains how a crypto project works and why it was created.

    Wallet

    Wallets
    Beginner

    An app or device that lets you use your crypto.

    Web3

    Web3
    Builder

    A new version of the internet where you control your own data.

    Wrapped Token

    Web3
    Builder

    A copy of a coin that works on another blockchain.

    Y

    Yield

    Economics
    Builder

    Earnings you can get from holding or lending your crypto.

    Yield Farming

    Economics
    Architect

    Earning rewards with crypto.

    Z

    Zero-Knowledge Proof

    AI + Digital Systems
    Architect

    Proving you know a secret without telling anyone what it is.

    Zero-Knowledge Proof

    Security
    Architect

    Proving you know a secret without telling the secret.

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