Crypto Glossary A-Z

Free distribution of cryptocurrency tokens to wallet addresses, often used for marketing or rewarding early adopters.

Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. Examples include Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano.

A decentralized exchange protocol that uses liquidity pools and algorithms to determine asset prices instead of traditional order books.

The yearly interest rate without considering compound interest. Often used in lending and borrowing protocols.

The real rate of return on an investment, taking compound interest into account. Used to measure staking and lending rewards.

The practice of buying an asset on one exchange and selling it on another for a profit due to price differences.

The lowest price a seller is willing to accept for an asset. Also known as the offer price.

The highest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency or asset in its trading history.

The lowest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency or asset in its trading history.

A market condition where prices are falling or expected to fall. Characterized by pessimism and selling pressure.

The highest price a buyer is willing to pay for an asset.

The first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap, created by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. Uses proof-of-work consensus.

A collection of transactions bundled together and added to the blockchain. Each block contains a hash of the previous block.

A distributed, immutable ledger that records transactions across many computers. The foundation of cryptocurrencies.

When price moves above resistance or below support with increased volume, signaling a potential trend continuation.

A protocol that allows tokens to be transferred between different blockchain networks.

A market condition where prices are rising or expected to rise. Characterized by optimism and buying pressure.

A chart type showing open, high, low, and close prices for a specific time period. Green/white candles indicate price increase, red/black indicate decrease.

A cryptocurrency exchange operated by a company that acts as intermediary. Examples: Binance, Coinbase, Kraken.

A cryptocurrency wallet that is not connected to the internet, providing maximum security for long-term storage.

Assets pledged as security for a loan in DeFi protocols. If the loan is not repaid, the collateral can be liquidated.

The method by which a blockchain network agrees on the current state of the ledger. Examples: Proof of Work, Proof of Stake.

Technology enabling communication and asset transfers between different blockchain networks.

A digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates on a decentralized network.

A service where a third party holds and manages your private keys and assets on your behalf.

An organization represented by rules encoded as smart contracts, controlled by members rather than a central authority.

An application that runs on a decentralized network, typically using smart contracts on a blockchain.

An investment strategy where you buy a fixed amount of an asset at regular intervals, regardless of price.

The transfer of control from a central entity to a distributed network. A core principle of blockchain technology.

Financial services built on blockchain technology that operate without traditional intermediaries like banks.

A cryptocurrency exchange that operates without a central authority, allowing peer-to-peer trading.

Slang for investors who hold their assets through volatility without selling, even during significant price drops.

A common phrase encouraging investors to thoroughly research before investing, rather than following others' advice.

A technical standard for creating tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. Most Ethereum tokens follow this standard.

The second-largest cryptocurrency and the leading platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications.

A platform where users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies. Can be centralized (CEX) or decentralized (DEX).

Government-issued currency not backed by a commodity like gold. Examples: USD, EUR, GBP.

The anxiety that others are experiencing profitable opportunities that you're missing. Often leads to impulsive buying.

A change to a blockchain protocol. Soft forks are backward-compatible; hard forks create a new chain.

Negative information spread to cause fear in the market, often leading to price drops.

Periodic payments between long and short traders in perpetual futures contracts to keep prices close to spot price.

Contracts to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price at a specific future date.

The fee paid to process transactions on a blockchain network, particularly Ethereum. Measured in Gwei.

The first block ever mined on a blockchain, also known as Block 0.

A token that gives holders voting rights on protocol decisions and changes.

An event where the block reward for mining cryptocurrency is cut in half, reducing new coin supply.

A physical device that stores private keys offline, providing the highest level of security for cryptocurrency.

A unique fixed-length string generated from input data. Used to secure transactions and link blocks.

Slang for 'hold' - a strategy of holding cryptocurrency long-term regardless of price fluctuations.

A cryptocurrency wallet connected to the internet, convenient for trading but more vulnerable to hacks.

A fundraising method where new projects sell tokens to early investors. Similar to an IPO in traditional finance.

A token launch conducted on a decentralized exchange, allowing immediate trading.

The temporary loss of funds experienced by liquidity providers when the price ratio of deposited tokens changes.

Identity verification process required by exchanges to comply with regulations and prevent fraud.

The base blockchain network (like Ethereum or Bitcoin) that processes and finalizes transactions.

Scaling solutions built on top of Layer 1 blockchains to improve speed and reduce costs.

Using borrowed funds to increase position size. For example, 10x leverage means controlling $10,000 with $1,000.

An order to buy or sell at a specific price or better. Only executes when the market reaches your price.

Forced closing of a leveraged position when losses approach the deposited margin.

How easily an asset can be bought or sold without significantly affecting its price.

A collection of funds locked in a smart contract, used to facilitate trading on decentralized exchanges.

A trade that profits when the asset price increases. Buying with expectation of price rise.

Moving Average Convergence Divergence - a momentum indicator showing the relationship between two moving averages.

The primary network where actual transactions occur on a blockchain, as opposed to testnet.

A trader who adds liquidity by placing limit orders. Usually pays lower fees than takers.

The collateral required to open and maintain a leveraged trading position.

Total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated by multiplying price by circulating supply.

An order to buy or sell immediately at the current market price. Guarantees execution but not price.

Cryptocurrencies created as jokes or based on internet memes. Examples: Dogecoin, Shiba Inu.

The process of validating transactions and adding blocks to a blockchain using computational power.

A unique digital asset on a blockchain representing ownership of items like art, music, or collectibles.

A computer that maintains a copy of the blockchain and helps validate and relay transactions.

A wallet or service where you maintain full control of your private keys and assets.

Transactions or data that are recorded directly on the blockchain.

A list of buy and sell orders for an asset, organized by price level.

Slang for investors who sell quickly during price drops due to fear.

A futures contract with no expiration date, allowing traders to hold positions indefinitely.

A consensus mechanism where validators stake tokens to verify transactions. More energy-efficient than PoW.

A consensus mechanism where miners solve complex puzzles to validate transactions. Used by Bitcoin.

A secret code that proves ownership of cryptocurrency and allows spending. Must be kept secure.

A cryptographic code that serves as your wallet address. Safe to share for receiving funds.

A manipulation scheme where promoters inflate an asset's price before selling at the peak.

A price level where selling pressure tends to prevent further price increases.

The percentage gain or loss on an investment relative to the initial amount invested.

A momentum indicator measuring overbought (>70) or oversold (<30) conditions.

A scam where developers abandon a project and run away with investors' funds.

The smallest unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC. Named after Bitcoin's creator.

A trading strategy that profits from small price changes through frequent, short-term trades.

A 12-24 word phrase used to recover a cryptocurrency wallet. Must be kept secret and secure.

A trade that profits when the asset price decreases. Selling borrowed assets to buy back cheaper.

The difference between expected and actual execution price, often occurring in low liquidity.

Self-executing code on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreement terms when conditions are met.

Buying or selling assets for immediate delivery at current market prices, owning the actual asset.

The difference between the highest bid and lowest ask price. Tighter spreads indicate better liquidity.

A cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, usually pegged to fiat currency like USD.

Locking up cryptocurrency to support network operations and earn rewards.

An order that automatically sells when price drops to a specified level, limiting potential losses.

A price level where buying pressure tends to prevent further price decreases.

A trading strategy that holds positions for days to weeks, capturing medium-term price movements.

An order that automatically sells an asset when it reaches a specified profit target.

A trader who removes liquidity by executing against existing orders. Usually pays higher fees.

Analyzing price charts and indicators to predict future price movements.

A test network for developers to experiment without risking real funds.

A digital asset created on an existing blockchain, as opposed to coins with their own blockchain.

The economic model of a token, including supply, distribution, utility, and incentive mechanisms.

The total value of assets deposited in a DeFi protocol. A key metric for DeFi projects.

A node that validates transactions and creates new blocks in a Proof of Stake network.

The degree of price variation over time. High volatility means larger price swings.

The total amount of an asset traded over a specific period. Indicates market activity.

Software or hardware that stores private keys and allows you to send and receive cryptocurrency.

The vision of a decentralized internet built on blockchain technology, giving users ownership of their data.

An individual or entity holding large amounts of cryptocurrency, capable of influencing market prices.

A document explaining a cryptocurrency project's technology, purpose, and roadmap.

The earnings generated from an investment, usually expressed as a percentage (APY/APR).

The practice of moving funds between DeFi protocols to maximize returns.