Last Updated:
May 30, 2025
The crypto enthusiast's glossary 2025: 50 Terms you need to know
Last Updated:
May 30, 2025

Author
Xinyi Fang
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1. Altcoin – Any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin
2. Airdrop – Free distribution of tokens to promote a project or reward users
3. ATH (All-Time High) – The highest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency
4. Bagholder – Someone holding a token after its price has crashed
5. Bear Market – A prolonged period of falling prices
6. Bull Market – A period of rising prices and investor optimism
7. Bridge – A protocol connecting different blockchains for token transfer
8. Burn – The process of removing tokens from circulation permanently
9. DEX (Decentralized Exchange) – A peer-to-peer marketplace with no central authority
10. DYOR (Do Your Own Research) – A reminder to investigate before investing
11. ERC-20 – A standard for tokens on the Ethereum blockchain
12. Fiat – Traditional government-issued currency like USD or EUR
13. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – The urge to buy when prices surge
14. FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) – Negative sentiment that spreads panic
15. Gas Fee – Transaction fee paid to miners or validators
16. Genesis Block – The first block in a blockchain
17. Gwei – A small denomination of ETH, used for paying gas fees
18. HODL – A misspelling of “hold” that became slang for not selling
19. ICO (Initial Coin Offering) – A fundraising method using token sales
20. IDO (Initial DEX Offering) – A decentralized form of ICO on a DEX
21. KYC (Know Your Customer) – A verification process for users’ identity
22. Layer 1 – The base blockchain (e.g., Ethereum, Solana)
23. Layer 2 – A scaling solution built on top of a Layer 1 blockchain
24. Liquidity – How easily a token can be bought or sold
25. Liquidity Pool – A pool of tokens locked in a smart contract to enable trading
26. Market Cap – The total value of all tokens in circulation
27. MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) – Profits miners/validators extract by reordering transactions
28. Metaverse – A digital universe powered by blockchain, NFTs, and virtual reality
29. Minting – Creating new tokens or NFTs
30. Multisig – A wallet that requires multiple private keys to approve a transaction
31. NFT (Non-Fungible Token) – A unique digital asset verified on the blockchain
32. Node – A computer that participates in a blockchain network
33. On-chain – Activity or data recorded directly on the blockchain
34. Off-chain – Activity or data that exists outside the blockchain
35. Oracle – A service that brings off-chain data onto the blockchain
36. Private Key – A secret code used to access and manage your crypto
37. Public Key – The address used to receive crypto
38. Pump and Dump – Artificially inflating a token’s price and then selling it off
39. Rug Pull – When a project’s team disappears with investor funds
40. Seed Phrase – A 12–24 word recovery phrase that backs up your wallet
41. Sharding – A method of splitting a blockchain to increase scalability
42. Smart Contract – A self-executing program on the blockchain
43. Stablecoin – A cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset like the US dollar
44. Staking – Locking up tokens to earn rewards and secure the network
45. TVL (Total Value Locked) – The amount of capital locked in DeFi protocols
46. Tokenomics – The economic model and utility behind a token
47. TGE (Token Generation Event) – The launch moment of a project’s token
48. Validator – A node that confirms blockchain transactions (especially in PoS)
49. Wallet – A tool to store and manage crypto assets (software or hardware)
50. Web3 – The next phase of the internet, built on decentralization and blockchain
Author
Xinyi Fang
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