There are more than a thousand cryptocurrency concepts, products and synonyms in this encyclopedia. The following are links in alphabetical order to many, but nowhere near all of the entries. Each definition below has links to other crypto terms. If you are new to crypto, first read
crypto glossary basics.
1099-DA
Digital asset reporting to IRS. See
1099-DA.
51% consensus
A majority of blockchain nodes. See
51% consensus.
Aave
Blockchain-based lending platform. See
Aave.
airdropped token
Free crypto for promotional purposes. See
airdropped token.
Algorand
Smart contract blockchain. See
Algorand.
altcoin
Non-Bitcoin cryptocurrency. See
altcoin.
Amazon Managed Blockchain
Blockchains on Amazon's cloud. See
Amazon Managed Blockchain.
ASIC miner
Mining hardware. See
miner hardware.
atomic swap
Coin exchange between blockchains. See
atomic swap.
Axie Infinity
Popular crypto-based game. See
Axie Infinity.
Base58
Crypto address for manual copying. See
Base58.
Binance
Largest crypto exchange by volume. See
Binance.
BIP
Procedure for improving Bitcoin. See
BIP.
Bitcoin
The first crypto. See
Bitcoin.
Bitcoin address
Public transaction address. See
Bitcoin address.
Bitcoin Academy
Education for low-income households. See
Bitcoin Academy.
Bitcoin ATM
Bitcoin dispensing machine. See
Bitcoin ATM.
Bitcoin City
New city in El Salvador. See
Bitcoin City.
Bitcoin faucet
Dispensing bitcoins as rewards. See
Bitcoin faucet.
Bitcoin miner/minting
Entity that adds a block. See
Bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin node
Participating computer in Bitcoin. See
Bitcoin node.
Bitcoin pizza
First Bitcoin transaction. See
Bitcoin pizza.
Bitcoin transaction
Sending Bitcoin to someone. See
Bitcoin transaction.
Bitcoin wallet
A debit card to a user's bitcoins. See
Bitcoin wallet.
Bitcoin.com
A Web services company. See
Bitcoin.com.
Bitfinex
Bitcoin exchange with Lightning support. See
Bitfinex.
Bitso
First Mexican crypto exchange. See
Bitso.
block explorer/blockchain explorer
View blockchain transactions. See
block explorer and
Bitcoin block explorer.
block reward
A miner's reward for updating the blockchain. See
crypto block reward.
blockchain
Architecture behind crypto. See
blockchain and
blockchain protocol.
blockchain oracle
Transfer off-chain data to the main chain. See
blockchain oracle.
blockchain service provider
Organization helping companies use blockchains. See
blockchain service provider.
blockchain stock
Shares in companies involved with crypto. See
blockchain stock.
blockchain validator
Checking a blockchain's integrity. See
blockchain validator.
Blockchain.com
A Web services company. See
Blockchain.com.
Blockstream
Company offering blockchain technologies. See
Blockstream.
Bonanza Mine
Intel mining chip announced in 2022. See
Bonanza Mine.
buidling
"Building" new crypto products. See
buidling.
burning crypto
Destroying crypto coins. See
crypto burning.
candidate block
Potential next block of crypto transactions. See
candidate block.
candlestick
Common crypto chart style. See
candlestick.
Cardano
Third-generation blockchain architecture. See
Cardano.
CBDC
Central bank digital currency. See
CBDC.
CeFi
(Centralized Finance) Non-blockchain services. See
CeFi.
CEX
(centralized exchange) See
crypto exchange and
decentralized exchange.
chain of custody
History of blockchain transactions. See
cryptographic chain of custody.
Changelly
Decentralized crypto exchange. See
Changelly.
Cirus platform
Blockchain system that pays users for their data. See
Cirus platform.
cloud mining
Using cloud computing to mine crypto. See
cloud mining.
Codex
Blockchain protocol for collectibles. See
Codex.
coin arbitrage
Buying and selling on different crypto exchanges. See
coin arbitrage.
Coinbase
Largest crypto exchange in U.S. See
Coinbase.
cold wallet
Offline coin storage. See
cold wallet.
colored coin
Early attempt at Bitcoin programmability. See
colored coins.
confirmation
Assurance of incontestable transaction. See
Bitcoin confirmation.
consensus algorithm
Protocol that ensures blockchain nodes are in agreement. See
consensus mechanism.
ConstitutionDAO
Crowdfund to bid on U.S. Constitution. See
ConstitutionDAO.
cold wallet
Crypto wallet not connected to the Internet. See
cold wallet.
Compound
Blockchain-based lending platform. See
Compound.
crowdsale
Popular method for funding new cryptos. See
crowdsale and
ICO.
crypto
Abbreviation of "cryptocurrency." See
crypto.
crypto address
The identification of a user on a blockchain. See
crypto address.
crypto art
Digital art created as an NFT. See
crypto art.
crypto domain
Blockchain-based domain names. See
Unstoppable Domains.
crypto believer
Strong advocate of crypto. See
crypto believer and
Bitcoiner.
CryptoCompare
Real-time crypto ticker. See
CryptoCompare.
cryptocosm
Universe of cryptocurrency. See
cryptocosm.
crypto credit card
A credit/debit card that accepts crypto. See
crypto credit card.
cryptocurrency
Blockchain-based digital currency. See
cryptocurrency.
cryptoeconomics
Cryptography and financial systems. See
cryptoeconomics.
crypto exchange
Buy, sell and trade crypto. See
crypto exchange.
crypto fork
Blockchain upgrade or split. See
crypto fork.
crypto fundraising
Crowdfunding a new crypto token. See
crypto fundraising,
ICO and
IFO.
crypto gambling
Betting with crypto online. See
crypto gambling.
crypto games
Blockchain-based amusement. See
crypto games.
cryptography
Methods for encrypting data. See
cryptography.
crypto hack
Stealing cryptocurrencies. See
crypto hacking.
crypto hedge fund
Investments in crypto assets. See
crypto hedge fund.
CryptoKitties
NFT game about breeding cats. See
CryptoKitties.
crypto mining
Adding blocks to a blockchain. See
crypto mining.
CryptoPunks
NFT pop art characters. See
CryptoPunks.
cryptorati
The crypto elite. See
cryptorati.
crypto scam
Hustles in the crypto world. See
crypto scam and
OneCoin.
cryptoshuffler
Malware that changes crypto addresses. See
cryptoshuffler.
crypto stats
Useful information portals. See
crypto stats.
crypto token
Representation of a crypto asset. See
Ethereum token,
crypto token and
tokenomics.
crypto trading
Exchanging one crypto for another. See
crypto trading.
crypto tumbler
Service that hides the originating parties. See
crypto tumbler.
Crypto Valley
Region in Switzerland. See
Crypto Valley.
crypto war
Adversarial relationship with governments. See
crypto war.
crypto whale
Investor holding a lot of crypto. See
crypto whale.
crypto winter
A slump in crypto valuations. See
crypto winter.
custody
Safekeeping of cryptocurrency. See
crypto custody.
custodial wallet
Crypto wallet on a centralized exchange. See
crypto wallet.
cypherpunk
A believer in privacy and freedon. See
cypherpunk.
DAO
(decentralized autonomous organization) Association run by members. See
DAO.
dApp
(decentralized application) App on Ethereum or similar blockchain. See
Ethereum and
DeFi.
Dash
Privacy-based cryptocurrency. See
Dash.
dead coin
Crypto no longer viable. See
dead coin.
Decentraland
Virtual world on Ethereum. See
Decentraland.
decentralized exchange (DeX)
Swap one crypto for another. See
decentralized exchange.
decentralized finance/DeFi
Blockchain-based finance. See
DeFi.
DeFi lending
Lending and borrowing crypto. See
DeFi lending.
DeFi wallet
A crypto wallet for Ethereum and other cryptos. See
DeFi wallet.
digital asset
A cryptocurrency. See
fungible token and
NFT.
digital dollar
Future digital U.S. currency. See
digital dollar.
Dogecoin
Crypto named after the Shiba Inu dog. See
Dogecoin.
DOT
Polkadot's cryptocurrency. See
Polkadot.
double spend
Spending the same crypto twice. See
double spending.
EIP
(Ethereum Improvement Proposal) Procedure for adding features to Ethereum. See
Ethereum.
Endaoment
Website that accepts crypto donations. See
Endaoment.
ENS
(Ethereum Name Service) Using names instead of long addresses. See
ENS.
ERC
Ethereum token standards. See
Ethereum token,
ERC-20 and
ERC-721.
ETH
(Ether) Ethereum native crypto. See
Ethereum.
Ethereum
Major smart contract blockchain. See
Ethereum,
Ethereum 2.0 and
Bitcoin vs. Ethereum.
fiat currency
Government-backed money. See
fiat currency.
Filecoin
Blockchain-based file storage. See
Filecoin.
FIO
(Foundation for Interwallet Operability) User-friendly crypto address. See
FIO.
Flippening
When Ethereum market cap eclipses Bitcoin. See
Flippening.
FTX
Major exchange meltdown. See
FTX exchange.
full node
Complete copy of a blockchain. See
full node.
fungible token
One token the same as another. See
fungible token.
GameFi
Blockchain-based video games. See
GameFi.
Ganache
A test blockchain for Ethereum. See
Ganache.
gas
Ethereum transaction fee. See
gas and
Ethereum.
Gemini Trust
First regulated crypto exchange. See
Gemini Trust.
genesis block
First block in a blockchain. See
block height.
Geth
A version of the Ethereum protocol. See
Geth.
Gitcoin
A DAO created to fund projects. See
Gitcoin.
Golem Network
Supercomputer that uses ether for rental. See
Golem Network.
governance token
Crypto voting rights. See
governance token.
gwei
Fraction of ether. See
gwei.
halving
Decreasing the Bitcoin reward. See
Bitcoin halving.
hard fork
Major change in a blockchain protocol. See
Bitcoin Cash and
Ethereum 2.0.
hardware wallet
Offline coin storage. See
cold wallet.
hash rate
Speed of mining calculations. See
hash rate.
HD wallet
Type of crypto wallet in common use. See
crypto wallet.
high-frequency crypto trading
Crypto version of stock trading. See
high-frequency crypto trading.
hodling
"Holding" cryptos. See
hodling.
hot wallet
Crypto wallet connected to the Internet. See
hot wallet.
hybrid blockchain
Permissionless and permissioned blockchain. See
private blockchain.
hyperbitcoinization
Expected future Bitcoin expansion. See
hyperbitcoinization.
Hyperledger Fabric
Open source tools for building blockchains. See
Hyperledger Fabric.
Immutable X
Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain for NFTs. See
Immutable X.
index fund
A crypto-based index fund. See
crypto index fund.
IPFS
Decentralized storage. See
IPFS.
Kraken
First crypto exchange in U.S. See
Kraken.
Layer 2 blockchain
Auxiliary blockchain operating in parallel. See
Layer 2 blockchain.
Layer 2 bridge
Interface between Layer 2 blockchains. See
Layer 2 bridge.
Lightning Network
Layer 2 network for Bitcoin. See
Lightning Network.
liquidity pool
Smart contract containing cash. See
yield farming.
liquidity provider
Investor who deposits funds. See
yield farming.
Litecoin
Crypto fixed at 84 million coins. See
Litecoin.
London hard fork
Major change to Ethereum in 2021. See
London hard fork.
MANA
Crypto token in a virtual world. See
Decentraland.
Matcha
Crypto exchange aggregator. See
Matcha.
meme coin
Crypto associated with a theme. See
meme coin.
mempool
(Memory Pool) New transaction holding area. See
mempool.
Merkle tree
Hashed transactions in a block. See
Merkle tree.
MetaMask
Popular crypto wallet. See
MetaMask.
Mimblewimble
Privacy-oriented blockchain protocol. See
Mimblewimble.
mining/miner/minting
Creating new crypto coins. See
crypto mining and
crypto minting.
modular blockchain
Separating the data and processing. See
modular blockchain.
Monero
Crypto noted for its privacy. See
Monero.
MoonPay
Payment service for buying cryptos and NFTs. See
MoonPay.
Mr. Goxx
Hamster that plays the crypto market. See
Mr. Goxx.
Mt. Gox
Early crypto exchange based in Japan. See
Mt. Gox.
multi-signature transaction
Transaction requiring more than one private key. See
multi-signature transaction.
native cryptocurrency
Blockchain's inherent digital currency. See
native cryptocurrency.
next-gen crypto
Next latest and greatest. See
next-gen crypto.
NFT
(Non-Fungible Token) Certification of ownership. See
NFT and
generative NFT.
non-custodial wallet
A user-maintained crypto wallet. See
crypto wallet.
non-fungible token
Certification of ownership. See
NFT.
on-ramp
Fiat-to-crypto (and vice versa). See
crypto on-ramp.
onchain metrics
Blockchain activity. See
crypto onchain metrics.
OpenSea
Large NFT marketplace. See
OpenSea.
Optimistic Ethereum
Layer 2 chain for Ethereum. See
Optimism.
oracle
Interface to data off chain. See
blockchain oracle.
orange pilled
Investing in Bitcoin and crypto. See
orange pilled.
ownership economy
Economy where users are invested. See
ownership economy.
parachain
Level 1 Polkadot-compatible blockchain. See
Polkadot.
peer-to-peer networking
Distributing the workload among many nodes. See
peer-to-peer networking.
Peercoin
Crypto using both consensus methods. See
Peercoin.
permissioned blockchain
Blockchain requiring vetting. See
permissioned blockchain.
permissionless
Blockchain not requiring vetting. See
permissionless.
physical crypto
Plastic and metal coins for fun. See
physical crypto.
plasma chain
Parallel network to Ethereum. See
Layer 2 blockchain.
Polkadot
Cross-blockchain protocol. See
Polkadot.
Poly Network
Platform for blockchain integration. See
Poly Network.
Polygon
Framework for secondary blockchains. See
Polygon blockchain.
pool mining
Crypto mining in groups. See
pool mining.
privacy crypto
Crypto with privacy features. See
privacy crypto.
private key
Encrypted address of crypto ownership. See
cryptocurrency and
public key cryptography.
proof-of-work/proof-of-stake algorithms
Major consensus mechanisms. See
proof-of-stake algorithm and
proof-of-work algorithm.
Ripple
Decentralized payment system. See
Ripple.
rollup
Layer 2 chain for verifying transactions. See
Layer 2 blockchain.
Rootstock
Sidechain that adds smart contracts to Bitcoin. See
Rootstock.
rug pull
Cashing out and causing a crash. See
rug pull and
crypto scam.
SAFU
Customer indemnification. See
SAFU.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. See
Satoshi Nakamoto.
Satoshi Nakamoto Institute
Location of Nakamoto-related articles. See
Satoshi Nakamoto Institute.
seed
Everyday words that create a private key. See
seed phrase.
sidechain
Auxiliary blockchain operating in parallel. See
sidechain.
Silk Road
Early Dark Web illegal merchandise. See
Silk Road.
smart contract
Software on a blockchain. See
Ethereum and
smart contract.
slippage
Difference between quoted and executed prices. See
crypto slippage.
soft fork
Change in blockchain protcol. See
Bitcoin soft fork.
Solana
Smart contracts blockchain similar to Ethereum. See
Solana.
Spatial
A virtual gallery for NFTs. See
Spatial.
SPV
(Simplified Payment Verification) Abbreviated blockchain for verification. See
SPV.
stablecoin
Crypto backed by fiat or gold. See
stablecoin.
staking
Locking up crypto for yield or rewards. See
crypto staking.
state DB
Balances and current status. See
state DB.
STO
(Security Token Offering) Fundraising for securities. See
STO.
SushiSwap
Decentralized crypto exchange (DeX). See
SushiSwap.
Swarm
Decentralized storage to extend Ethereum. See
Swarm.
Taproot
Bitcoin protocol change in 2021. See
Taproot.
tax reporting
Reporting for IRS compliance. See
crypto tax reporting.
Terra Virtua
London-based NFT marketplace. See
Terra Virtua.
Tether
One of the first stablecoins. See
Tether.
Tezos
Smart contract blockchain using proof-of-stake (PoS). See
Tezos.
token
Representation of an asset. See
Ethereum token and
crypto token.
token burning
Destroying crypto coins. See
crypto burning.
token swap
Exchanging one crypto for another. See
token swap.
total value locked (TVL)
Total of crypto assets staked. See
total value locked.
TradFi
(Traditional Finance) Regular banking. See
TradFi.
transaction
Buy, sell, trade or spend crypto. See
crypto transaction.
transaction fee
Fee to process transactions. See
gas.
trusted intermediary
Legitimate party such as a bank or law office. See
trusted intermediary.
trustless
Not requiring trust. See
trustless.
Uniswap
Decentralized crypto exchange (DeX). See
Uniswap.
Unstoppable Domains
Blockchain-based domain names. See
Unstoppable Domains.
UTXO
(Unspent Transaction Output) Bitcoin accounting system. See
Bitcoin transaction.
validator
Computer that checks a blockchain's integrity. See
blockchain validator.
Vladimir Club
Person who owns .01% of a crypto. See
Vladimir Club.
Voyager
Trading platform and loyalty program. See
Voyager.
wallet
Software interface to crypto. See
crypto wallet.
Web3
Umbrella term for DeFi. See
DeFi,
Web3 and
Web3 wallet.
wrapped token
Representation of another crypto. See
wrapped token and
wETH.
XRM
Monero cryptocurrency. See
Monero.
XRP
Crypto token for Ripple. See
Ripple.
Yearn.finance
DeFi lending aggregator. See
Yearn.finance.
yield farming
Putting up crypto for yield. See
yield farming.
Zcash
Privacy-based crypto based on Bitcoin. See
Zcash.
zero confirmation transaction
Adding transactions without confirmation. See
zero confirmation transaction.