Crypto Vocabulary

Written by fastnickel

January 8, 2025

Here’s a list of 100 crypto terms to enhance your knowledge about the crypto space

A-B
  • Airdrop – Distribution of free tokens to promote a project.
  • Altcoin – Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
  • ATH (All-Time High) – The highest price a cryptocurrency has reached.
  • Bagholder – Someone holding a crypto that has lost significant value.
  • Bear Market – A prolonged period of declining prices.
  • Block – A group of transactions recorded on a blockchain.
  • Blockchain – A decentralized digital ledger of transactions.
  • Bull Market – A prolonged period of rising prices.
  • Burning – Destroying tokens to reduce supply.
  • Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) – A property of a blockchain to remain functional even if some nodes fail.
C-D
  • CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) – Digital currency issued by a central bank.
  • Chainlink – A decentralized oracle network.
  • Cold Wallet – Offline storage of cryptocurrencies.
  • Consensus – Agreement among network participants on data validity.
  • Cryptography – The practice of secure communication.
  • dApp (Decentralized Application) – An application running on a decentralized network.
  • DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) – A community-led organization without centralized authority.
  • DeFi (Decentralized Finance) – Financial services without intermediaries.
  • Double Spend – Attempt to spend the same cryptocurrency twice.
  • Dump – Selling a large number of tokens, leading to a price drop.
E-F
  • ERC-20 – A standard for Ethereum tokens.
  • ERC-721 – A standard for non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
  • Exchange – A platform for buying, selling, and trading cryptocurrencies.
  • Faucet – A website that gives small amounts of free crypto.
  • Fiat – Traditional government-issued currency like USD.
  • Flippening – The hypothetical event of Ethereum surpassing Bitcoin in market cap.
  • Fork – A change or split in a blockchain.
  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – Anxiety of missing investment opportunities.
  • FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) – Negative information spread to affect prices.
  • Full Node – A computer that stores a complete copy of a blockchain.
G-I
  • Gas – Transaction fees on the Ethereum network.
  • Genesis Block – The first block on a blockchain.
  • Governance Token – Tokens giving holders voting rights in a project.
  • Halving – Reduction of mining rewards, typically for Bitcoin.
  • Hash – A unique string representing data.
  • Hash Rate – The computational power used for mining.
  • HODL – “Hold On for Dear Life,” meaning to hold investments despite market dips.
  • ICO (Initial Coin Offering) – Fundraising method for new crypto projects.
  • Immutable – Incapable of being altered, a key blockchain property.
  • Interoperability – The ability of different blockchains to communicate.
J-I
  • JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) – Satisfaction from avoiding risky investments.
  • KYC (Know Your Customer) – Verification process requiring user identity information.
  • Layer 1 – The base blockchain, like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
  • Layer 2 – Scaling solutions built on top of Layer 1 blockchains.
  • Ledger – A record-keeping system.
  • Liquidity – Ease of converting assets into cash.
  • Liquidity Pool – A pool of funds for decentralized trading.
  • Long – Betting on a price increase.
  • LTV (Loan-to-Value) – Ratio used in crypto lending.
  • Lightning Network – A Layer 2 solution for Bitcoin transactions.
M-O
  • Mainnet – The live version of a blockchain.
  • Market Cap – Total value of a cryptocurrency (price × circulating supply).
  • Maximalist – Someone who believes only one cryptocurrency is superior.
  • Mempool – A collection of pending transactions.
  • Merkle Tree – A data structure used in blockchains.
  • Mining – Verifying transactions and adding them to the blockchain.
  • Minting – Creating new tokens or NFTs.
  • NFT (Non-Fungible Token) – A unique digital asset.
  • Node – A computer that participates in a blockchain network.
  • Oracle – A service that provides external data to smart contracts.
P-R
  • Paper Wallet – A printed record of private and public keys.
  • P2P (Peer-to-Peer) – Direct interaction without intermediaries.
  • Private Key – A secret code to access cryptocurrency.
  • Proof of Stake (PoS) – Consensus mechanism using staked coins.
  • Proof of Work (PoW) – Consensus mechanism using computational power.
  • Public Key – The address used to receive cryptocurrency.
  • Pump and Dump – Inflating a token’s price to sell at a profit.
  • Rekt – Heavy financial loss.
  • ROI (Return on Investment) – Measure of investment profitability.
  • Rug Pull – A scam where developers disappear with investor funds.
S-U
  • Satoshi – The smallest Bitcoin unit (0.00000001 BTC).
  • Satoshi Nakamoto – Bitcoin’s mysterious creator.
  • Scalability – The ability to handle increased demand.
  • Seed Phrase – A recovery phrase for a crypto wallet.
  • Sharding – A scalability solution dividing the blockchain into smaller parts.
  • Short – Betting on a price decrease.
  • Smart Contract – Self-executing agreements with coded rules.
  • Stablecoin – A cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset.
  • Staking – Locking crypto to support a network and earn rewards.
  • Tokenomics – The economics of a token.
V-Z
  • Validator – A participant in PoS networks.
  • Volatility – The rate of price fluctuations.
  • Wallet – A tool for storing cryptocurrencies.
  • Wash Trading – Fake trading to inflate volume.
  • Whale – An individual or entity holding a large amount of cryptocurrency.
  • White Paper – A document explaining a crypto project.
  • Yield Farming – Earning rewards by lending or staking crypto.
  • Zero-Knowledge Proof – A way to prove possession of information without revealing it.
Miscellaneous
  • 51% Attack – When an entity controls most of a network’s hash rate.
  • Atomic Swap – Direct exchange of cryptocurrencies without intermediaries.
  • Cross-Chain – Communication between different blockchains.
  • Decentralization – Lack of a central authority.
  • Dusting Attack – Sending small amounts of crypto to track wallet activity.
  • Hard Fork – A major blockchain protocol change.
  • Soft Fork – A minor protocol update.
  • Synthetic Asset – A tokenized representation of real-world assets.
  • Token Burn – Permanent removal of tokens.
  • Utility Token – Tokens providing access to a product or service.
  • Vanity Address – Customizable crypto wallet address.
  • Wrapped Token – A token pegged to another asset, like Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC).

Maple Finance and Maple (MPL) are two distinct projects in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, each with its own characteristics and purposes:

Maple Finance (SYRUP): Purpose: Maple Finance is a decentralized finance protocol designed to provide decentralized lending services. It allows lenders (providers of capital) to earn interest by lending their funds to borrowers in a secure and transparent manner.

Token: The token associated with Maple Finance is SYRUP.

Maple (MPL): Purpose: Maple (MPL) is a decentralized protocol focused on creating decentralized finance products that enable borrowing and lending in the crypto space. It aims to provide efficient and transparent lending markets for institutional and retail users.

Token: The native token of the Maple protocol is MPL.

Both projects operate within the broader DeFi ecosystem but focus on different aspects of lending and borrowing. Maple Finance (SYRUP) emphasizes decentralized lending services, while Maple (MPL) aims to build decentralized finance products catering to both institutional and retail users. The distinction lies in their specific functionalities, target audiences, and underlying protocols despite their shared focus on DeFi lending.

GEODNET: Decentralized GNSS Network – Uses a network of independently operated base stations to provide real-time corrections for high-precision positioning.

Crypto Incentives – Operators of GEODNET base stations earn rewards in the network’s native cryptocurrency for contributing geospatial data.

RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) & PPP (Precise Point Positioning) – Provides centimeter-level accuracy for GPS and other satellite navigation systems.

Blockchain-Powered – Uses blockchain technology for transparent data validation, transactions, and rewarding contributors.

Global Coverage – Aims to expand its network worldwide, enabling reliable positioning solutions in various industries.

Use Cases:

  • Autonomous Vehicles – Enables precise navigation for self-driving cars and drones.

  • Agriculture – Supports precision farming by providing accurate GPS data for machinery.

  • Surveying & Mapping – Enhances geospatial data collection with high accuracy.

  • IoT & Smart Cities – Helps power location-based services in urban environments.

GEODNET positions itself as a decentralized alternative to traditional GNSS correction services, leveraging blockchain and tokenized rewards to incentivize participation in building a global high-precision positioning network.

STORY (IP) is a blockchain-based platform designed to facilitate the tokenization, ownership, and monetization of intellectual property (IP) in the entertainment industry. It allows creators, writers, and producers to leverage decentralized technology to manage and monetize their content more efficiently.

Key Features of STORY (IP): Decentralized IP Management – Enables creators to register, track, and prove ownership of their intellectual property on the blockchain.

Tokenization of IP Rights – Allows for fractional ownership of stories, scripts, and other creative works, making it easier to fund and distribute content.

Smart Contracts for Royalties – Ensures transparent and automated royalty payments to content creators and investors.

Marketplace for Content – Connects IP owners with studios, producers, and investors, facilitating collaboration and licensing deals.

Community-Driven Development – Uses blockchain governance to allow stakeholders to participate in decision-making related to IP projects.

Use Cases:

  • Film & TV – Enables screenwriters and filmmakers to tokenize their work for funding and distribution.

  • Books & Comics – Helps authors and artists secure their rights and sell digital ownership stakes.

  • Gaming & Metaverse – Provides a framework for integrating IP into blockchain-based games and virtual experiences.

STORY (IP) aims to democratize the entertainment industry by giving independent creators more control over their work while leveraging blockchain for transparency and monetization.

Not financial advice. For educational purposes only.