Crypto glossary

Lost in the lingo? We’ve got you. From bags to bridges, this glossary breaks down crypto slang and terms in plain English.

51% Attack

A 51% attack happens when someone takes control of most of a blockchain’s power. It’s rare—but when it happens, things can get messy.

Airdrop

Airdrops are how projects reward users with tokens. Here’s how it all works.

Altcoin

The cryptocurrency market features tens of thousands of altcoins today.

AML (Anti-Money Laundering)

The global financial system saw a staggering $3.1 trillion in illicit money flow through it in 2023.

API

The cryptocurrency world has grown beyond imagination. Today, it boasts over 21,330 cryptocurrencies and 1,862 exchanges, with a market cap reaching $2.72 trillion.

Arbitrage

A simple buy and sell of the same cryptocurrency on different exchanges could net you $1.49 in profit.

ASIC

Modern ASIC miners process data with incredible speed – about 3,000 times faster than the latest graphics cards.

Atomic Swap

Atomic swaps represent one of crypto’s biggest breakthroughs.

Bagholder

The term “bagholder” first described people who carried their belongings in bags during the Great Depression’s financial hardship.

Bear Market

The crypto market enters a bear phase when cryptocurrency prices drop 20% or more from their recent highs.

Bitcon

Bitcoin reached an all-time high of over $100,000 in December 2024, but what is Bitcoin definition exactly, and why does it matter to you?

Blockchain

The blockchain industry is set to add almost $1 trillion to its value by 2032.

Block Explorer

Curious about checking your cryptocurrency transaction status?

Block Height

The Bitcoin blockchain has grown to more than 804,274 blocks.

Block Reward

Block rewards compensate miners who add new blocks to a blockchain successfully.

Bounty

Here’s something interesting – crypto bounty rewards can range from $120 for small bugs to more than $10,000 for critical vulnerabilities.

Bull Run

Bitcoin’s incredible journey from $9,000 to almost $69,000 in under two years shows the power of a crypto bull run.

Burning

Ever wondered what burning crypto means?

Centralized Exchange

Trading cryptocurrencies used to be complicated and needed technical expertise plus trust between strangers.

Circulating Supply

Here’s a surprising fact: about 4 million Bitcoin are lost forever.

Cold Storage

Cold storage crypto stands out as the safest way to protect your digital assets from online threats.

Confirmation

You might wonder what happens after sending a cryptocurrency transaction.

Cryptocurrency

The cryptocurrency market reached a staggering $2.76 trillion valuation by April 2025.

Cryptography

The odds of guessing a Bitcoin private key correctly are one in 150,000 billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion.

Custodial Wallet

“Not your keys, not your coins” is a phrase you’ll hear often in crypto communities.

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

A DAO in crypto made history by raising over $150 million during its launch, which became the largest crowdfunding campaign at the time.

dApp

dApps (decentralized applications) have transformed the dapp crypto meaning into an everyday reality for users worldwide.

Decentralised Exchange

A decentralized exchange (DEX) lets you trade cryptocurrencies directly with other users.