Crypto glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll run into — search it, or follow the links to deeper guides.
74 terms
- AddressWallets & Security
- A string, like an account number, that others use to send you crypto. Safe to share.
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- AI agentAI & Crypto
- Software that can act on its own toward a goal — in crypto, sometimes holding a wallet and transacting autonomously.
- Learn moreCrypto AI Agents: Software That Holds a Wallet and Transacts On Its Own
- All-time highInvest
- The highest price an asset has ever reached, often abbreviated ATH.
- Learn moreCrypto Market Cycles Explained
- AltcoinCrypto Basics
- Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
- Learn moreWhat Are Altcoins? Categories, Risks, and How to Evaluate Them
- APYEarn & Staking
- Annual percentage yield — the yearly return on an investment, including the effect of compounding.
- Learn moreCrypto Staking Explained: How Earning Rewards Actually Works
- Bear marketInvest
- An extended period of falling prices and fading interest.
- Learn moreCrypto Market Cycles Explained
- BitcoinCrypto Basics
- The first and largest cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 — digital money with a fixed 21-million supply.
- Learn moreWhat Is Bitcoin? A Plain-English Guide to the First Cryptocurrency
- BlockchainCrypto Basics
- A shared, tamper-resistant digital ledger that records transactions across many computers at once.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- Bollinger BandsTechnical Analysis
- A volatility indicator: a moving average wrapped in bands two standard deviations away. A narrow "squeeze" often precedes a big move.
- Learn moreCommon Crypto Trading Indicators Explained (RSI, MACD, Moving Averages)
- BridgeProjects & Software
- A tool that moves tokens between two different blockchains. Bridges are powerful but a common target for hacks.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Layer 2s: How Rollups Make Crypto Faster and Cheaper
- Bull marketInvest
- An extended period of rising prices and rising confidence.
- Learn moreCrypto Market Cycles Explained
- CandlestickTechnical Analysis
- A chart shape showing a period's open, high, low, and close in one compact bar with wicks.
- Learn moreCandlestick Patterns Basics: Reading Price Action with Confidence
- Capital gainsRegulation & Tax
- The profit when you sell an asset for more than you paid. In most places, crypto gains are taxable.
- Learn moreCrypto Taxes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Taxable Events
- CEXBuying & Exchanges
- A centralized exchange (e.g. Coinbase) — a company that holds funds and matches buyers and sellers.
- Learn moreCEX vs. DEX: Which Type of Crypto Exchange Should You Use?How to Choose a Crypto Exchange: A Beginner's Checklist
- Cold storageWallets & Security
- Keeping crypto keys offline (e.g. on a hardware device) to protect them from online attacks.
- Learn moreHot vs. Cold Wallets: Which One Should You Use for Your Crypto?
- ConsensusCrypto Basics
- The rules a blockchain's computers follow to agree on which transactions are valid, with no central authority.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- CryptocurrencyCrypto Basics
- Digital money secured by cryptography and run by a network of computers instead of a bank or government.
- Learn moreWhat Is Cryptocurrency? A Plain-English Beginner's Guide
- CustodialWallets & Security
- An arrangement where a company holds your keys and funds for you (e.g. an exchange account).
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- DAOProjects & Software
- A decentralized autonomous organization — a group governed by token-holder votes and smart contracts instead of managers.
- Learn moreWhat Is a DAO? Decentralized Autonomous Organizations Explained
- DecentralizationCrypto Basics
- Spreading control across many participants so no single party can censor or shut down the network.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- DeFiProjects & Software
- Decentralized finance — lending, trading, and earning built on blockchains without traditional intermediaries.
- Learn moreWhat Is DeFi? Lending, DEXs, and Yield Without the Hype
- DePINAI & Crypto
- Decentralized physical infrastructure networks — using token incentives to crowdsource real-world resources like GPUs or storage.
- Learn moreDecentralized AI Compute Networks Explained
- DEXBuying & Exchanges
- A decentralized exchange — trade crypto peer-to-peer from your own wallet, with no central company holding funds.
- Learn moreCEX vs. DEX: Which Type of Crypto Exchange Should You Use?
- Dollar-cost averagingInvest
- Investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule to smooth out the effect of price swings.
- Learn moreDollar-Cost Averaging in Crypto: A Simple Strategy for Volatile Markets
- ETFInvest
- An exchange-traded fund — a regulated product that tracks an asset (like Bitcoin) and trades like a stock.
- Learn moreCrypto ETFs Explained: Spot vs Futures and the Trade-Offs
- FiatBuying & Exchanges
- Government-issued money like the US dollar or euro, as opposed to cryptocurrency.
- Learn moreHow to Buy Your First Bitcoin Safely (Step by Step)
- Floor priceNFTs & Gaming
- The lowest asking price for any item in an NFT collection — a quick gauge of its market value.
- Learn moreNFTs Explained: What Non-Fungible Tokens Actually Are
- FOMOInvest
- Fear of missing out — the urge to buy after a price has already surged, often a costly mistake.
- ForkCrypto Basics
- A change to a blockchain's rules that splits its history — sometimes creating a new, separate coin.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- GasProjects & Software
- The fee paid to process a transaction on a blockchain like Ethereum.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Layer 2s: How Rollups Make Crypto Faster and Cheaper
- HalvingCrypto Basics
- The roughly four-year event that cuts Bitcoin's block reward in half, slowing new supply.
- Learn moreThe Bitcoin Halving Explained: How Bitcoin's Supply Works
- Hardware walletWallets & Security
- A physical device that stores your keys offline and signs transactions internally — strong protection for savings.
- Learn moreHot vs. Cold Wallets: Which One Should You Use for Your Crypto?
- Hot walletWallets & Security
- A wallet connected to the internet — convenient for spending, but more exposed than cold storage.
- Learn moreHot vs. Cold Wallets: Which One Should You Use for Your Crypto?
- Impermanent lossEarn & Staking
- The loss a liquidity provider can suffer when the prices of the two pooled tokens drift apart.
- Learn moreYield Farming Risks: What Can Quietly Destroy Your Returns
- IRAInvest
- An individual retirement account — a tax-advantaged account that can, in some forms, hold crypto.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Crypto IRA? Tax-Advantaged Crypto Investing Explained
- KYCBuying & Exchanges
- "Know Your Customer" — the identity checks regulated exchanges require before you can trade.
- Learn moreHow to Choose a Crypto Exchange: A Beginner's Checklist
- Layer 1Projects & Software
- A base blockchain (like Bitcoin or Ethereum) that everything else ultimately settles to.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Layer 2s: How Rollups Make Crypto Faster and Cheaper
- Layer 2Projects & Software
- A network built on top of a base blockchain to make transactions faster and cheaper, while inheriting its security.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Layer 2s: How Rollups Make Crypto Faster and Cheaper
- LendingEarn & Staking
- Depositing crypto so others can borrow it, earning interest in return — via a platform or DeFi protocol.
- Learn moreCrypto Lending Explained: How It Works and What Can Go Wrong
- LiquidityBuying & Exchanges
- How easily an asset can be bought or sold without moving its price. Thin liquidity means bigger swings.
- Learn moreCEX vs. DEX: Which Type of Crypto Exchange Should You Use?
- Liquidity poolEarn & Staking
- A shared pot of two tokens on a DEX that traders swap against, with the price set by the ratio between them.
- Learn moreWhat Is DeFi? Lending, DEXs, and Yield Without the Hype
- MACDTechnical Analysis
- Moving Average Convergence Divergence — a momentum indicator tracking the gap between two moving averages, with a signal line and histogram.
- Learn moreCommon Crypto Trading Indicators Explained (RSI, MACD, Moving Averages)
- Market capInvest
- A coin's price multiplied by its circulating supply — a rough measure of its total size.
- Learn moreWhat Makes Crypto Valuable? The Real Drivers Behind the Price
- MiningCrypto Basics
- Using computing power to add new blocks to a proof-of-work blockchain in exchange for newly issued coins.
- Learn moreThe Bitcoin Halving Explained: How Bitcoin's Supply WorksWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- MintingNFTs & Gaming
- Creating a new token or NFT on a blockchain — often the first sale of a new collection.
- Learn moreHow to Buy an NFT: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide
- Moving averageTechnical Analysis
- A line that smooths price over a set number of periods to reveal the underlying trend.
- Learn moreCommon Crypto Trading Indicators Explained (RSI, MACD, Moving Averages)
- NFTNFTs & Gaming
- A non-fungible token — a unique, blockchain-verified record of ownership of a digital (or linked physical) item.
- Learn moreNFTs Explained: What Non-Fungible Tokens Actually Are
- NodeCrypto Basics
- A computer that runs a blockchain's software and keeps a copy of its ledger.
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- Non-custodialWallets & Security
- Self-custody — you hold your own keys, so no company can freeze or lose your funds (but you bear the responsibility).
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- OracleProjects & Software
- A service that feeds real-world data (like prices or event outcomes) into a blockchain so smart contracts can use it.
- Learn moreWhat Are Prediction Markets? Polymarket, Kalshi, and How They Work
- Order bookBuying & Exchanges
- A live list of buy orders (bids) and sell orders (asks) that an exchange matches against each other.
- Learn moreCEX vs. DEX: Which Type of Crypto Exchange Should You Use?
- PortfolioInvest
- The full collection of assets you hold, and how they're weighted against each other.
- Learn moreBuilding a Crypto Portfolio: A Practical Framework for Beginners and Beyond
- Prediction marketPrediction Markets
- A market where you buy and sell shares in the outcome of a future event; the price reflects its implied probability.
- Learn moreWhat Are Prediction Markets? Polymarket, Kalshi, and How They Work
- Private keyWallets & Security
- The secret code that proves ownership of crypto and authorizes spending it. Anyone with it controls the funds.
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- Proof of StakeCrypto Basics
- A consensus method where validators lock up coins as collateral to secure the network (used by Ethereum).
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for BeginnersCrypto Staking Explained: How Earning Rewards Actually Works
- Proof of WorkCrypto Basics
- A consensus method where miners spend computing power and energy to secure the network (used by Bitcoin).
- Learn moreWhat Is a Blockchain? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
- Public keyWallets & Security
- A key derived from your private key that generates your shareable wallet address.
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- RSITechnical Analysis
- Relative Strength Index — a 0–100 momentum gauge; above 70 is "overbought," below 30 "oversold."
- Learn moreCommon Crypto Trading Indicators Explained (RSI, MACD, Moving Averages)
- SatoshiCrypto Basics
- The smallest unit of bitcoin — one hundred-millionth (0.00000001) of a BTC.
- Learn moreWhat Is Bitcoin? A Plain-English Guide to the First Cryptocurrency
- Seed phraseWallets & Security
- A list of 12–24 words that backs up a wallet. Whoever has it can restore — and drain — the wallet.
- Learn moreHow to Protect Your Seed Phrase: A Practical Guide to Keeping Your Crypto Safe
- SlippageBuying & Exchanges
- The difference between the price you expect and the price you actually get, common on large or low-liquidity trades.
- Learn moreCEX vs. DEX: Which Type of Crypto Exchange Should You Use?
- Smart contractProjects & Software
- Self-executing code on a blockchain that runs automatically when its conditions are met.
- Learn moreWhat Is DeFi? Lending, DEXs, and Yield Without the Hype
- SpreadBuying & Exchanges
- The gap between the best buy price and best sell price — a hidden cost you pay on every trade.
- Learn moreExchange Fees Explained: What You're Really Paying to Trade Crypto
- StablecoinEarn & Staking
- A crypto token designed to hold a steady value, usually pegged 1:1 to a currency like the US dollar.
- Learn moreStablecoins Explained: Digital Dollars on the Blockchain
- StakingEarn & Staking
- Locking up crypto to help secure a proof-of-stake network in exchange for rewards.
- Learn moreCrypto Staking Explained: How Earning Rewards Actually Works
- Support and resistanceTechnical Analysis
- Price zones where buying (support) or selling (resistance) has repeatedly slowed a move.
- Learn moreReading Crypto Charts: A Practical Guide to Technical Analysis
- TokenProjects & Software
- A unit of value issued on top of an existing blockchain, often representing an asset, utility, or governance right.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Tokenomics: How Crypto Supply and Demand Shape Value
- TokenomicsProjects & Software
- How a token's supply, distribution, and use are designed — key to judging a project's long-term value.
- Learn moreUnderstanding Tokenomics: How Crypto Supply and Demand Shape Value
- TVLProjects & Software
- Total value locked — the amount of crypto deposited in a DeFi protocol, used as a rough size/health gauge.
- Learn moreWhat Is DeFi? Lending, DEXs, and Yield Without the Hype
- ValidatorEarn & Staking
- A participant in a proof-of-stake network who stakes coins to verify transactions and earn rewards.
- Learn moreCrypto Staking Explained: How Earning Rewards Actually Works
- VolatilityInvest
- How sharply and quickly a price moves. Crypto is far more volatile than most traditional assets.
- Learn moreCrypto vs. Stocks: What's Actually Different for Beginners
- VolumeTechnical Analysis
- How much of an asset traded in a period. High volume makes a price move more convincing.
- Learn moreReading Crypto Charts: A Practical Guide to Technical Analysis
- WalletWallets & Security
- Software or hardware that stores the private keys used to access and move your crypto.
- Learn moreCrypto Wallets Explained: What They Are and How They Actually Work
- YieldEarn & Staking
- The return you earn for putting crypto to work — from staking, lending, or providing liquidity.
- Learn moreYield Farming Risks: What Can Quietly Destroy Your Returns