Free tokens sent to wallets, usually to reward early users or spread ownership of a new token. Always check an airdrop is real: fake airdrops are a common scam.
The highest price an asset has ever traded at. Read more →
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. Read more →
A long period of falling prices and pessimism. The opposite of a bull market.
An event roughly every four years when the Bitcoin mining reward is cut in half, slowing the creation of new coins. The latest was in April 2024. Read more →
A batch of transactions added to a blockchain at once. Each block links to the one before it, forming a chain.
A shared record of transactions kept by many computers at once, so no single party can secretly change it. Read more →
A tool that moves tokens from one blockchain to another. Bridges hold large amounts of funds, which makes them frequent targets for hackers.
A long period of rising prices and optimism.
Permanently removing tokens from circulation by sending them to an address nobody can access. Burns reduce supply. Read more →
Central bank digital currency: a digital form of a country's official money, issued by its central bank. Read more →
A wallet kept offline, such as a hardware device. Safer from hackers than a hot wallet, but less convenient.
Holding crypto on someone's behalf. A custodian, such as an exchange, controls the private keys for you. Read more →
Decentralized autonomous organization: a group that makes decisions through votes recorded on a blockchain, often using tokens.
Decentralized finance: lending, borrowing and trading through smart contracts instead of banks or brokers.
A term US regulators use for some tokens that behave more like commodities than securities, often because no central party controls them. Read more →
"Do your own research": a reminder to check facts yourself before investing.
Exchange-traded fund: a fund that trades on a stock exchange. Spot crypto ETFs hold the actual coins, letting people invest through a normal brokerage account. Read more →
Ethereum Virtual Machine: the system that runs smart contracts on Ethereum. EVM-compatible chains, such as CandyChain, can run the same contracts and tools. Read more →
The fee paid to process a transaction on a blockchain such as Ethereum.
A wallet connected to the internet, such as a phone app or browser extension. Convenient, but more exposed to hacks.
The rate at which new tokens are created. Higher issuance means more new supply, which can dilute existing holders. Read more →
Know your customer: identity checks that regulated exchanges and services must carry out. Read more →
A base blockchain that processes and settles its own transactions, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum or CandyChain. Read more →
A network built on top of a Layer 1 to make transactions faster and cheaper, while relying on the Layer 1 for security.
Borrowing to make a bigger bet than your own money allows. It multiplies gains and losses. Read more →
When an exchange forcibly closes a leveraged position because the trader's collateral no longer covers losses. Waves of liquidations can speed up price moves. Read more →
How easily an asset can be bought or sold without moving its price much.
Price multiplied by the number of coins in circulation. A rough way to compare the size of cryptocurrencies. Read more →
Using computers to secure a proof-of-work blockchain like Bitcoin and earn new coins as a reward.
Non-fungible token: a unique token that represents ownership of a specific item, such as art, a game item or a ticket.
A letter from regulator staff saying they would not recommend enforcement for a specific activity, based on the facts provided. It is not a formal ruling. Read more →
An early sale of a token before it lists on exchanges, often at a lower price, usually with tokens unlocked over time. Read more →
The secret code that controls a crypto wallet. Anyone with it can move the funds, so never share it.
A way of securing a blockchain where validators lock up tokens as collateral instead of using mining power. Read more →
A way of securing a blockchain through mining, where computers compete to solve puzzles. Bitcoin uses proof of work.
Traditional assets such as bonds, funds, property or stocks represented as tokens on a blockchain. Read more →
A list of 12 or 24 words that can restore a wallet. Whoever has it controls the funds, so store it offline and never share it.
A program on a blockchain that runs automatically when its conditions are met.
The current price to buy or sell an asset for immediate delivery. Read more →
A token designed to hold a steady value, usually $1, backed by cash, bonds or other assets. USDT and USDC are the largest. Read more →
Locking up tokens to help secure a proof-of-stake network in return for rewards. Read more →
Token generation event: when a token is created and first becomes transferable, often the day presale buyers receive their first unlocked tokens. Read more →
When previously locked tokens, often held by teams or early investors, become free to move or sell. Read more →
Turning ownership of an asset, such as a share, bond or property, into a token on a blockchain. Read more →
The economics of a token: its supply, how it is distributed, how it is unlocked and what it is used for. Read more →
A participant that checks and confirms transactions on a proof-of-stake blockchain.
A schedule that releases tokens gradually over time instead of all at once. Read more →
An app or device that stores the keys to your crypto and lets you send and receive it.
Someone holding a very large amount of a cryptocurrency, big enough to move its price.
An open payment standard that uses the web's "402 Payment Required" code so software and AI agents can pay per request. Read more →
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