Glossary

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51% Attack

A 51% attack is an attack on a blockchain launched by an entity possessing 51% or more of the network’s mining potential.

Address

A location where cryptocurrencies are sent or received

Airdrop

A marketing campaign to share a particular cryptocurrency or token with the public audience. 

Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of instructions, typically followed by a computer, in a specific sequential order to solve a problem.

All time High (ATH)

ATH is the maximum value that an asset has ever reached, measured in price or market capitalization.

Alpha

Alpha is a measure reflecting the performance of an investment or investment portfolio. Read more

Altcoin

An altcoin is a term used in the crypto market to portray a coin or token other than bitcoin. Find out more

Angel investors

A person who supports a new company or startup financially.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

A set of international laws that restrict criminals and people who launder money in real-world cash through cryptocurrencies. Read more

API

API is the set of protocols that allow different computer software or applications to communicate with each other.

Arbitrage

Arbitrage is the trading action that exploits price differences of the same asset in different markets.

ASIC

Application Specific Integrated Circuits are devices with substantial computing capabilities powered by microprocessors, usually used to mine cryptocurrencies.

Ask Price

The ask price is the lowest amount an asset seller is willing to accept to sell it for.

Asset management

Asset management is the handling of an asset portfolio with the objective of maximizing portfolio value with minimal risk.

Auction

An auction is a competitive bid.

Automated Market Maker (AMM)

AMM is an automated means to supply exchanges with liquidity, thanks to liquidity pools.

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Bear Market

"Bear market" defines a market with considerable price declining coercion over a significant period of time

Benchmark

Benchmark Protocol ($MARK) provides elastic, stablecoin-alternative supply, linked by the Volatility Index, blending the traditional finance with the cryptocurrency market

BEP-20

BEP-20 was designed with the aim of broadening the ERC-20 - a well-known Binance Smart Chain token standard.

Beta (Coefficient)

Beta is an investment or investment portfolio volatility and riskiness measure.

Beta (Release)

A beta release is the launching of a product version to individuals outside the firm referred to as beta testers.

Bid-Ask spread

Bid-Ask spread is the difference between the bid price and the ask price in a "bid and ask" system.

Bid Price

The bid price is the greatest sum of money a buyer is willing to purchase an asset for in a "bid and ask" system.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology.

Bitcoin core

Bitcoin core is an open-source implementation software that allows users to become part of the Bitcoin blockchain network.

Bitcoin Dominance

Bitcoin dominance refers to the ratio of Bitcoin’s market cap to the market cap of all existing cryptocurrencies combined.

Block

Blocks are files that hold transaction data.

Block Header

The block header is the part of a block that provides its synopsis.

Block Reward

A block reward is the reward given to a miner when he/she succeeds in verifying a block.

Blockchain

Blockchain technology is a special type of database that stores data in a decentralized way, on multiple nodes instead of a single central server.

Blockchain explorer

A blockchain explorer is an online tool which enables users to retrieve and view information about blockchain transactions.

BNB

BNB or Binance coin is the cryptocurrency created by Binance.

Bounty

A bounty is a token-based reward given to an individual for performing a certain activity related to a blockchain or cryptocurrency project.

Break-even point

Breakeven point is the point when profits equal costs.

BUIDL

BUIDL is a philosophy related to blockchain that encourages propagating blockchain and crypto technology through actively using it.

Bull Market

A market can be considered bullish if assets show a global upward price trend over a significant period.

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Candlestick

Candlesticks are specific charts that investors use to track the changing prices of an asset over an interval of time.

Capitulation

Capitulation is the action of selling your assets whilst their value is going down in disbelief that their price will increase again.

Censorship Resistance

The notion that no party can protect anybody from joining in a given platform or network is a reference to censor resistance.

Centralized

A centralized structure is one where the whole network is assigned to a particular node or a limited amount of them.

CFTC

The CFTC is an independent US regulatory agency that regulates US derivatives market.

Cipher

An algorithm to encrypt and decrypt data is a cipher.

Circulating Supply

A fluctuating value that can rise and/or decrease over a time is the number of cryptocurrency coins or tokens circulating

Cloud

Cloud is a bundle of computer servers accessed via the internet.

Coin

Coins are digital cryptocurrencies that run autonomously on their own blockchain platforms.

Collateral

Collateral is a form of assurance that protects a lender in case a borrower is unable to repay his debt

Collateralization

Collateralization is the process of putting down a valuable asset in exchange for receiving a loan.

Confirmation time

Confirmation time is the time interval between the issuance and addition of a transaction within a blockchain.

Confluence

Confluence is the simultaneous use of different investment strategies in a single consistent strategic plan.

CPI: Consumer price index

The CPI is an economic index calculated as the weighted average of consumer goods and services in a basket.

Credentials

Credentials are a person's private data that permit identification or provide access to a certain service or resource.

Cryptocurrency

A cryptocurrency is a digital currency that can be exchanged securely thanks to cryptography.

Cryptography

Cryptography is the process of encoding data to make it unreadable for unauthorized parties.

Custody

Custody is the retention of assets on someone else's behalf.

D

DAC

DAC stands for decentralized autonomous corporation and is sometimes used synonomously with DAO.

DAO

A decentralized autonomous organization is a democratized community-based organization governed by smart contracts.

DApp

Decentralized applications are applications that run on a network of peer-to-peer computers.

Decryption

Decryption is the decoding of cryptographic data into a mode that can be read by individuals or machines.

Deep Web

Deep web refers to parts of the internet not available through a standard search engine like Google or Bing.

DeFi

“DeFi” is an umbrella term for all financial projects and protocols in various blockchains, that are compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine.

Delisting

Delisting is the withdrawal of an asset from the exchange listing.

DeX

DEX is short for decentralized exchange and refers to exchanges performed without an intermediary.

Difficulty

Difficulty is how complex it is to solve a cryptographic problem.

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)

DLT is a means of storing transaction data in several nodes simultaneously rather than in a single place.

Divergence

Divergence is when an asset’s price is increasing or decreasing in a way contrary to the change in direction of some technical indicator or relevant data.

Diversification

Diversification is a risk hedging technique employed by investing in various independent projects and assets within a portfolio.

Double Spending

Double spending occurs when a digital currency is replicated and spent twice.

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Mainnet

A mainnet is a totally developed independent up-and-running blockchain network.

Mainnet swap

A mainnet swap occurs when a company moves its tokens to its own independent blockchain or changes protocol.

Maker

Market makers are usually traders who place orders that are not fulfilled straightaway on an order book.

Margin trading

Margin trading is when you invest in an asset using someone else’s funds, typically a broker.

Market capitalization

Market cap is the product of a cryptocurrency’s price and its circulating supply.

Market momentum

Market momentum describes the consistency in the direction of evolution of a market price.

Market order

Market orders are orders implemented instantaneously at the best immediately accessible price.

Masternode

Masternodes emerged as a solution to the diminishing number of full nodes.

Maximum supply

Maximum supply of a token is the ceiling of all tokens that can ever be generated.

Mempool

The mempool is the space on a blockchain network node where transactions awaiting confirmation are temporarily stored.

Merkle tree

A Merkle tree or hash tree is a data structure that allows storing blockchain transactions in an efficient way.

Metadata

Metadata is data that labels other data.

Mining

Mining is the phenomenon of verifying blockchain transactions, adding new blocks to the chain network.

Monetary policy

Monetary policy is the policy embraced by a government authority, typically the central bank, in pursuit of certain economic objectives.

Moon

Moon is a crypto slang term referencing a continuous increase in a certain cryptocurrency’s price, or a perceived imminent increase.

Multisignature

Multi-signature is essentially a signature that requires the simultaneous presence of more than one unique key to confirm a transaction or access the resources.

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Satoshi Nakamoto

The original creator(s) of Bitcoin.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is a US government authority that regulates the securities market.

Security Audit

Security audits are regular checkups on the safety of a company’s information technology system.

Sell Wall

A sell wall occurs when a large limit sell order is placed in an order book.

Sentiment

Market sentiment refers to the highly subjective feeling about the state of a market

Slippage

Slippage occurs when there is a discrepancy between the order price a trader requests and the de facto price he settles for when the transaction is executed.

Smart Contract

A smart contract is a computer algorithm that is executed automatically when the specified coded terms are met.

Snapshot

A snapshot captures the records on a blockchain at a point in time, including all the confirmed blocks up to that point.

Source code

A source code is a set of statements written in a programming language.

Speculation

Speculative trading refers to the purchase and sale of a highly volatile asset driven by the potential colossal returns despite the high risks.

Stablecoin

Stablecoins are cryptocurrency pegged to real world value – all the pros of blockchain without the cons of volatility. 

Staking pool

A staking pool is a wallet jointly owned by different investors who group their resources to increase the likelihood of being rewarded.

Store of value

Store of value assets are assets whose value is conserved over time.

Supply chain

Supply chain refers to the several stages a product undergoes before it is delivered to the end customer.

Support

A support level is a price barrier, for which it is difficult to force a price trend below.

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