Glossary
Learn all of the most important Crypto, DeFi & Web3 terms and jargon here.
5
- 51% Attack - Entity with majority network power manipulates transactions. More
a
- Account Abstraction - Extending account functionality in blockchain technology. More
- Airdrop - Distribution of free tokens as a promotional strategy. More
- AMM - Automated Market Maker - Mechanism for automatic trading of assets on decentralized exchanges. More
- Appchains - Specialized blockchain networks for specific applications. More
- AT1 Bonds - Hybrid debt instrument issued by financial institutions. More
- ATOM Economic Zone - An interconnected system of specialised appchains at the centre of the Cosmos ecosystem More
b
- Blockchain - A digital database that has revolutionised how transactions work. It intends to provide a safe and s More
- Blockchain Communication - Secure data exchange in a blockchain network. More
c
- CeDeFi - Hybrid of centralized and decentralized financial systems. More
- Censorship Resistance - Inability to stop usage of a protocol. More
- Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) - Digital version of a country's fiat currency issued by the central bank. More
- Cold Wallet - A device which stores cryptocurrency private keys offline More
- Collateralisation - Asset security for loans or transactions. More
- Commodity - A a digital asset's role as a store of value or its utility within a blockchain network More
- Cross-chain bridge - One of blockchain’s many benefits is that it is a secure, self-contained ledger. However, this mea More
d
- Danksharding - A sharding design that implements the concept of a merged market fee More
- DAO - Blockchain-based organization using smart contracts for decision-making. More
- Decentralised Exchange (DEX) - Cryptocurrency exchange on blockchain, trades assets without intermediaries. More
- Decentralised Order Book - A trading mechanism where buy and sell orders are matched through a distributed network of nodes More
- Decentralised Science (DeSci) - A scientific approach where information and data are shared openly and transparently. This allows fo More
- Deflationary - A decrease in coin supply, enhancing value and scarcity over time. More
- Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) - A system where the process of validating or confirming information is spread out More
e
- EIP-1559 - Ethereum upgrade to improve transaction fees, network efficiency. More
- Ethereum - A decentralized open-source blockchain network that enables users to make transactions and trades, s More
- Ethereum Improvement Proposals - Standards that specify potential new features or processes for the Ethereum network More
- Ethereum Request for Comment (ERC) - A formal proposal or standardisation document that outlines a specific improvement or extension for More
- Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) - Runtime environment on Ethereum for executing smart contracts. More
- Exchange-Traded Funds - An ETF is a diversified, stock market-listed, easily traded investment fund. More
f
- Flatcoin - A stablecoin that grows together with inflation More
- Fragmentation - The division and isolation within the Layer 2 (L2) ecosystem of Ethereum More
- Fraud Proof - A technical method in blockchain that enables scalability through sharding of larger blocks More
g
h
- Hard Fork - Major divergence in a blockchain network's protocol. More
- Hardware Wallet - A physical device designed to store digital currencies. More
i
- ICO - A fundraising process undertaken by cryptocurrency projects to raise capital publicly. More
- Inflationary Cryptocurrencies - Designed with a mechanism to gradually increase the total supply of coins over time More
- Interoperability - Confidential validation of info without revealing the info. More
l
- Liquid Staking - Staking crypto for rewards while keeping liquidity. More
- Liquid Staking Token Finance - A way which enable users to stake their ETH while maintaining liquidity More
- Liquidity - How quickly and easily one can sell or purchase More
m
- Market Maker - High-volume traders that provide liquidity. More
- Memecoin - Cryptocurrency driven by social media trends and viral memes. More
- Merkle Tree - Merkle trees organise and verify data efficiently in distributed systems. More
- MEV - Potential profit miners can obtain by manipulating transaction order. More
- Modular Blockchain - Flexible architecture with interchangeable components. More
n
- Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) - Unique digital assets; represent ownership or authenticity of items. More
o
- Optimistic Rollup - Scalability solution batching multiple transactions off-chain. More
- Oracle - External entity providing data to a blockchain network. More
- Over-the-counter (OTC) - Trading assets directly, without centralized exchange, offers flexibility. More
p
- Privacy Coins - Cryptos with enhanced privacy features, for user anonymity. More
- Proof of History - Solana's mechanism for chronological order of events. More
- Proof of Stake - Blockchain consensus algorithm based on coin holdings. More
- Proof of Work - Blockchain consensus algorithm where miners solve puzzles. More
q
- Quadratic Funding - Decentralized funding encouraging broad participation. More
r
- Regenerative Finance (ReFi) - Financial practices aligning with sustainability and equity. More
- Replicated Security - Redundant security measures in a distributed system. More
- Restaking - Staking identical tokens on the main blockchain and other protocols allows users to simultaneously s More
- Rug pull - Abrupt abandonment of a project, leading to investor loss. More
s
- Securities - Tradable financial instruments with monetary value More
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - A US federal agency that safeguards the US securities markets. More
- Slashing - Penalty mechanism in PoS networks for rule violations. More
- Smart Contracts - Self-executing blockchain protocols; automate predefined actions. More
- Stablecoins - Cryptos pegged to traditional assets for stability. More
t
- Tether - A stablecoin with its value is pegged to the US dollar. More
- The Howey-Test - Legal test for determining investment contracts. More
- The Solana Ecosystem - Projects, applications, services on Solana blockchain. More
- Token Burning - Permanent removal of crypto tokens from circulation. More
- Tokenomics - Economic principles governing a cryptocurrency. More
- Total Value Locked (TVL) - A common measure used to evaluate the value of digital assets More
- Trustless - Systems like blockchains eliminate reliance on central authorities. More
v
- Validator - Entity verifying transactions and maintaining network integrity in PoS. More
- Vampire Attack - A strategy employed to siphon users and liquidity away. More
w
- Web3 - Evolution of the internet towards a decentralized ecosystem. More
- White Hat Hack - A practice where hackers legally and ethically assess and evaluate security More
- Whitepaper - Detailed document outlining a project or cryptocurrency concept. More
z
- Zero-Knowledge Proof - Confidential validation of info without revealing the info. More
- zk-rollups - Layer 2 scaling solutions using zero-knowledge proofs. More