Whalesfy

Crypto Glossary

0-9

0x Protocol: An open protocol for decentralized exchange of Ethereum-based tokens.

1 Confirmation: The first confirmation that a transaction has been included in a block.

10-K Filing: Um relatório anual exigido pela SEC dos EUA para empresas de capital aberto, incluindo empresas de criptografia.

12-Word Phrase: A mnemonic consisting of 12 words used to recover a cryptocurrency wallet.

1inch Exchange: A DEX aggregator that sources liquidity from multiple exchanges.

24/7 Trading: Cryptocurrency markets operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2FA (Two-Factor Authentication): An extra security layer requiring two forms of identification.

32 ETH: The minimum amount of Ether required to become a validator on Ethereum 2.0.

51% Attack: When a group controls more than 50% of a network’s hash rate, allowing them to manipulate the blockchain.

A

AML (Anti-Money Laundering): Regulations and procedures to prevent money laundering activities.

AMM (Automated Market Maker): A protocol using algorithms to price assets and provide liquidity on decentralized exchanges.

API (Application Programming Interface): A set of protocols for building and interacting with software applications.

ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit): Specialized hardware designed for cryptocurrency mining.

Aave: An open-source and non-custodial DeFi protocol for lending and borrowing.

Account: A digital identity used to access and manage cryptocurrency funds.

Address: A unique identifier used to send and receive cryptocurrency transactions.

Air Gap: A security measure isolating a computer from external networks to prevent unauthorized access.

Airdrop: Distribution of free tokens to promote a new cryptocurrency or project.

Algorithm: A set of rules or processes for solving a problem or performing a task.

Algorithmic Stablecoin: A stablecoin maintained through algorithms rather than collateral.

All-Time High (ATH): The highest price point a cryptocurrency has reached in its history.

All-Time Low (ATL): The lowest price point a cryptocurrency has reached in its history.

Altcoin: Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.

Anonymity: The state of being anonymous; important in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.

Arbitrage: Profiting from price differences of the same asset in different markets.

Atomic Swap: Peer-to-peer exchange of cryptocurrencies from different blockchains without intermediaries.

Attestation: A statement or proof verifying that something is true, used in blockchain consensus mechanisms.

Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user or device.

Automated Trading: Trading using pre-programmed software or bots to execute strategies.

B

Bag: Slang for a significant amount of a particular cryptocurrency held by an investor.

Bagholder: An investor holding a cryptocurrency that has significantly dropped in value.

Bear Market: A market condition characterized by declining prices.

Bearish: Expecting prices to fall; a pessimistic market outlook.

Bitcoin (BTC): The first and most well-known decentralized cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH): A fork of Bitcoin aiming to improve transaction speed and fees.

Block: A set of transactions recorded on the blockchain and confirmed by miners or validators.

Block Explorer: A tool or website allowing users to view all transactions and blocks on a blockchain.

Block Height: The number of blocks preceding a particular block in a blockchain.

Block Reward: The incentive given to miners or validators for adding a new block to the blockchain.

Blockchain: A decentralized ledger technology composed of a chain of blocks that record transactions.

Bollinger Bands: A technical analysis tool indicating price volatility.

Bot: Automated software that performs tasks like trading according to defined parameters.

Bull Market: A market condition characterized by rising prices.

Bullish: Expecting prices to rise; an optimistic market outlook.

Burn Address: A wallet address where tokens are sent to be permanently removed from circulation.

Burned Tokens: Tokens permanently removed from circulation by being sent to an inaccessible address.

Byzantine Fault Tolerance: The ability of a distributed system to reach consensus despite faulty or malicious nodes.

C

Candlestick Chart: A chart showing price movements over time using candle-shaped symbols.

Capitalization: The total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated by multiplying its price by the circulating supply.

Centralized Exchange (CEX): A cryptocurrency exchange operated by a central authority.

Chainlink (LINK): A decentralized oracle network providing real-world data to blockchains.

Cipher: An algorithm for performing encryption or decryption.

Circulating Supply: The total number of coins or tokens available to the public and circulating in the market.

Cloud Mining: Renting computing power from a company to mine cryptocurrencies remotely.

Cold Storage: Offline storage of cryptocurrencies, often considered more secure.

Cold Wallet: A cryptocurrency wallet not connected to the internet.

Collateral: An asset pledged as security for the repayment of a loan.

Consensus Mechanism: The method used by blockchain networks to agree on the state of the ledger.

Consensus Protocol: The rules and procedures governing the consensus mechanism.

Cryptocurrency: Digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography and operating on a blockchain.

Cryptography: The practice of secure communication techniques to protect information.

Cybersecurity: Measures taken to protect electronic data from unauthorized access or attack.

Cypherpunk: An activist advocating widespread use of cryptography as a path to social and political change.

D

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization): An organization governed by smart contracts and community voting.

Darknet: Part of the internet not indexed by search engines, often associated with anonymous activities.

Day Trading: Buying and selling assets within the same trading day.

DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Financial services built on blockchain technology without intermediaries.

Decentralization: Distribution of control and decision-making away from a central authority.

Decentralized Exchange (DEX): An exchange operating without a central authority, allowing peer-to-peer trading.

Decryption: Converting encrypted data back to its original, readable form.

Derivatives: Financial contracts deriving value from an underlying asset.

Deterministic Wallet: A wallet where keys and addresses are derived from a single seed phrase.

Difficulty: A measure of how hard it is to mine a new block on a blockchain network.

Digital Asset: Any asset stored digitally, including cryptocurrencies and tokens.

Digital Signature: A cryptographic signature verifying the authenticity of a digital message.

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT): Technologies enabling decentralized data storage and recording.

Double Spending: The risk of a digital currency being spent more than once.

Dust: A tiny amount of cryptocurrency, often uneconomical to transact due to fees.

Dusting Attack: A malicious act where small amounts of cryptocurrency are sent to wallets to breach privacy.

dApp (Decentralized Application): An application running on a decentralized network using smart contracts.

E

ERC-20: A standard protocol for fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.

ERC-721: A standard protocol for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum.

Eclipse Attack: A network attack where a node is isolated and surrounded by malicious nodes.

Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH): A theory stating that asset prices fully reflect all available information.

Encryption: The process of converting information into code to prevent unauthorized access.

Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA): A group promoting Ethereum technology for enterprise applications.

Ethereum (ETH): A decentralized platform with smart contract functionality.

Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM): The runtime environment for smart contracts on Ethereum.

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF): A security tracking an index or basket of assets, traded on an exchange.

Exit Scam: When cryptocurrency promoters disappear with investors’ funds.

F

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Anxiety over missing potential investment opportunities.

FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt): Negative information spread to influence public perception.

Fiat Currency: Government-issued currency not backed by a physical commodity.

Fork: A change in a blockchain’s protocol resulting in a split.

Fractional Reserve Banking: A banking system where only a fraction of deposits is backed by actual cash.

Full Node: A node that fully validates transactions and blocks, maintaining a copy of the blockchain.

Fungibility: The property of an asset where each unit is interchangeable.

Futures Contract: An agreement to buy or sell an asset at a future date and predetermined price.

G

GPU Mining: Using graphics processing units to mine cryptocurrencies.

Gas: A unit measuring the computational effort required to execute operations on Ethereum.

Gas Limit: The maximum amount of gas a user is willing to spend on a transaction.

Gas Price: The amount a user is willing to pay per unit of gas.

Genesis Block: The first block in a blockchain, often hardcoded into the software.

Governance Token: A token granting holders voting rights in a decentralized protocol.

Gwei: A denomination of Ether used in gas prices, equal to one billion Wei.

H

HODL: A misspelling of “hold,” meaning to keep cryptocurrencies instead of selling.

Hal Finney: An early Bitcoin pioneer and recipient of the first Bitcoin transaction.

Halving: An event where the block reward for miners is cut in half.

Hard Cap: The maximum amount of funds a project aims to raise.

Hard Fork: A permanent divergence in a blockchain creating two separate networks.

Hardware Wallet: A physical device used to securely store private keys offline.

Hash: A fixed-size alphanumeric string produced by a hash function.

Hash Function: A function converting input data into a fixed-size hash.

Hash Rate: The speed at which a computer completes operations in a blockchain’s code.

Hot Wallet: A wallet connected to the internet for frequent transactions.

I

ICO (Initial Coin Offering): A fundraising method where new tokens are sold to early investors.

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System): A decentralized file storage and sharing protocol.

Immutable: Unchangeable; data that cannot be altered once recorded.

Inflation: The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising.

Initial Exchange Offering (IEO): A token sale conducted on a cryptocurrency exchange.

Initial Public Offering (IPO): The first sale of stock by a private company to the public.

Interoperability: The ability of different systems to work together and exchange information.

Isolated Margin: A margin system where collateral is isolated to a specific position.

J

JOMO (Joy of Missing Out): Pleasure derived from not participating in certain activities, opposite of FOMO.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A lightweight data-interchange format used in APIs and blockchain data.

K

Key Pair: A pair of cryptographic keys consisting of a private key and a public key.

Kilohash: A measure of mining speed equal to one thousand hashes per second.

Know Your Customer (KYC): A process used by financial institutions to verify customer identities.

L

Latency: The delay before data transfer begins following an instruction.

Ledger: A record of financial transactions.

Leverage: Using borrowed funds to increase potential returns.

Lightning Network: A second-layer protocol for fast and low-cost Bitcoin transactions.

Limit Order: An order to buy or sell at a specific price or better.

Liquidity: The ease with which an asset can be converted into cash without affecting its market price.

Liquidity Pool: A pool of tokens locked in a smart contract for decentralized trading.

Long Position: Buying an asset with the expectation that its value will rise.

Layer 0: The foundational infrastructure that underpins Layer 1 blockchains, focusing on protocols that enable interoperability and communication between different networks. Examples include Polkadot and Cosmos, which facilitate the creation and connection of multiple Layer 1 blockchains.

Layer 1: The base layer or main blockchain architecture responsible for processing transactions, executing smart contracts, and maintaining security. Examples include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain.

Layer 2: Secondary protocols or frameworks built on top of Layer 1 blockchains to enhance scalability, speed, and efficiency. Layer 2 solutions handle transactions off-chain, reducing the load on the main chain. Examples include the Lightning Network for Bitcoin and Optimistic Rollups or Polygon for Ethereum.

M

Mainnet: The main network where actual transactions are recorded on the blockchain.

Margin Trading: Trading with borrowed funds to increase potential gains (and losses).

Market Capitalization: The total value of a cryptocurrency’s circulating supply.

Market Order: An order to buy or sell immediately at the best available price.

Masternode: A node with additional responsibilities and privileges, often requiring a significant stake.

Maximum Supply: The maximum number of coins or tokens that will ever exist.

Mempool: A pool of unconfirmed transactions waiting to be added to a block.

Merkle Tree: A data structure used to efficiently summarize and verify large data sets.

Mining: The process of validating transactions and adding them to the blockchain.

Mining Pool: A group of miners combining resources to improve chances of mining a block.

Mining Reward: The incentive received by miners for solving a block.

Mining Rig: A computer system used for mining cryptocurrencies.

Mnemonic Phrase: A sequence of words used to recover cryptocurrency wallets.

Monero (XMR): A privacy-focused cryptocurrency with anonymous transactions.

Moon: Slang for a significant upward movement in cryptocurrency prices.

Moving Average (MA): A statistical measure used in technical analysis.

N

Node: A computer participating in a blockchain network.

Non-Custodial Wallet: A wallet where the user has full control over their private keys.

Non-Fungible Token (NFT): A unique digital asset representing ownership of specific items.

Nonce: A number used only once in cryptographic communication, essential in mining.

Novelty: The state of being new or original; often associated with innovative technologies in crypto.

Null Address: An address with no private key, used to burn tokens.

O

OTC (Over-The-Counter): Trading conducted directly between parties without an exchange.

Off-Chain: Transactions that occur outside the blockchain network.

On-Chain: Transactions recorded on the blockchain.

Open Source: Software with source code available for anyone to inspect, modify, and enhance.

Option Contract: A financial derivative giving the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset.

Oracle: A service providing external data to smart contracts.

Order Book: A list of buy and sell orders for a specific asset on an exchange.

Ordinals: A protocol on the Bitcoin network that allows data, such as text or images, to be inscribed directly onto individual satoshis (the smallest unit of Bitcoin). This effectively enables non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other data storage on Bitcoin’s blockchain, expanding its functionality beyond simple transactions.

P

P2P (Peer-to-Peer): A decentralized network where participants interact directly.

Paper Wallet: A physical document containing a cryptocurrency address and private key.

Parity: Equality in value or position; in crypto, often refers to token pairing.

Peercoin (PPC): One of the first cryptocurrencies to implement Proof of Stake.

Permissioned Ledger: A blockchain requiring permission to participate.

Permissionless: A blockchain where anyone can participate without authorization.

Phishing: A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity.

Plasma: An Ethereum layer 2 scaling solution using child chains.

Private Key: A secret key used to access and manage cryptocurrency funds.

Proof of Authority (PoA): A consensus mechanism using identity as a stake.

Proof of Burn (PoB): A consensus mechanism where miners must burn coins to mine new blocks.

Proof of Capacity (PoC): A consensus mechanism using disk space for mining.

Proof of Stake (PoS): A consensus mechanism where validators are chosen based on the number of coins they hold and stake.

Proof of Work (PoW): A consensus mechanism where miners solve complex puzzles to validate transactions.

Public Key: A cryptographic key that can be shared publicly to receive funds.

Pump and Dump: A scheme to inflate an asset’s price before selling it off.

Q

QR Code: A machine-readable code used to store information like wallet addresses.

Quantum Computing: Advanced computing technology potentially capable of breaking current cryptographic systems.

Quick Response (QR) Code: Same as QR Code.

Quorum: The minimum number of members required to conduct business in a group.

R

Raiden Network: An off-chain scaling solution for Ethereum.

Rebase: Algorithmically adjusting a token’s supply to influence its price.

REKT: Slang for “wrecked,” meaning significant financial loss.

Replay Attack: A network attack where a valid data transmission is maliciously repeated.

Return on Investment (ROI): A measure of the profitability of an investment.

Ripple (XRP): A real-time gross settlement system and cryptocurrency.

Roadmap: A strategic plan outlining a project’s goals and milestones.

S

Satoshi: The smallest unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC

Satoshi Nakamoto: The pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.

Scalability: The ability of a blockchain to handle increasing amounts of work.

SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission): The U.S. federal agency regulating securities markets.

Seed Phrase: Another term for mnemonic phrase used to recover wallets.

SegWit (Segregated Witness): A Bitcoin protocol upgrade improving scalability.

Sharding: Splitting a blockchain into smaller parts to increase scalability.

Smart Contract: Self-executing contracts with terms directly written into code.

Stablecoin: A cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset like fiat currency.

Staking: Locking up cryptocurrencies to support network operations and earn rewards.

Stop-Loss Order: An order to sell an asset when it reaches a certain price to limit losses.

Supply Chain: The network between a company and its suppliers.

Swap: Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another.

Sybil Attack: A security threat where one entity creates multiple identities to gain influence.

T

Testnet: A blockchain used for testing and development.

Token: A digital asset issued on a blockchain.

Tokenomics: The study of a token’s economics, including its supply and distribution.

Total Supply: The total amount of coins or tokens in existence.

TPS (Transactions Per Second): The number of transactions a blockchain can process per second.

Trustless: A system that does not require trust in a central authority.

Turing Complete: Capable of performing any computation given enough resources.

U

Unconfirmed Transaction: A transaction not yet included in a block.

Uniswap: A decentralized exchange protocol on Ethereum.

UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output): The unspent outputs of transactions representing available funds.

Utility Token: A token providing access to a product or service.

V

Validator: A participant in a PoS network who validates transactions.

Vanity Address: A cryptocurrency address containing a recognizable sequence.

Volatility: The degree of variation in an asset’s price.

Volume: The amount of an asset traded over a period.

W

Wallet: A digital tool for storing and managing cryptocurrencies.

Wallet Address: A string of characters used to receive cryptocurrency transactions.

Wash Trading: Artificially inflating trading volumes through simultaneous buying and selling.

Watchlist: A list of assets an investor monitors for potential investment.

Wei: The smallest denomination of Ether, equal to 0.000000000000000001 ETH.

Whale: An individual or entity holding large amounts of cryptocurrency.

Whitelist: A list of approved participants for an ICO or token sale.

Whitepaper: A detailed report explaining a project’s technology and objectives.

Whalesfy: A cryptocurrency platform offering services such as a blog, glossary, crypto market data, courses, and educational content to help users learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

X

XRP: The native cryptocurrency of the Ripple network.

XBT: An alternative ticker symbol for Bitcoin.

XLM: The native cryptocurrency of the Stellar network.

Y

YTD (Year to Date): The period from the beginning of the year to the present

Yield Farming: Earning returns by lending or staking cryptocurrencies in DeFi protocols.

Z

Z-address: A private address on the Zcash network offering shielded transactions.

Zero-Knowledge Proof: A cryptographic method where one party proves to another that they know a value without revealing it.

Zk-SNARKs: A form of zero-knowledge proof used in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.

Zcash (ZEC): A cryptocurrency offering privacy and selective transparency of transactions.

Zero Confirmation Transaction: A transaction broadcast to the network but not yet confirmed.

Zero-Day Attack: A cyber-attack exploiting unknown vulnerabilities.