Blogs on Chain Logo

Crypto Glossary

Quick, human-readable definitions of common blockchain and crypto terms. No hype. No jargon.

A

  • Address – Your wallet’s public identifier.
  • Airdrop – Free tokens sent to wallets, usually to reward early users.
  • Altcoin – Any crypto that isn’t Bitcoin.

B

  • Blockchain – A public ledger that records and verifies transactions.
  • Bridge – A tool for moving assets from one chain to another.
  • Burn – Permanently removing tokens from supply.

C

  • CeFi – Centralized Finance (e.g. Binance, Coinbase).
  • Cold Wallet – Offline wallet. Safer for storage.
  • Consensus – How blockchains agree on what’s true.
  • Custodial Wallet – Someone else (like an exchange) holds your keys.

D

  • DAO – Community-run project that votes on decisions using tokens.
  • DeFi – Decentralized Finance: open financial apps on blockchains.
  • DEX – Decentralized Exchange. Swap tokens directly from your wallet.

E

  • ENS – Ethereum Name Service. Human-readable names like name.eth.
  • ERC-20 – Standard for fungible Ethereum tokens.
  • ERC-721 / ERC-1155 – Standards for NFTs.

F

  • Fiat – Traditional money (CAD, USD, EUR).
  • Fork – A chain splitting into two versions.
  • FOMO – “Fear Of Missing Out.” Panic buying.
  • FUD – “Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.” Negative pressure on sentiment.

G

  • Gas – The fee to execute a transaction on a blockchain.
  • GM – “Good morning.” Crypto slang for “I’m still here.”

H

  • Halving – Bitcoin event where mining rewards drop ~50%.
  • Hot Wallet – Wallet connected to the internet (easy to use, less safe).

L

  • Layer 1 (L1) – Base chain (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana).
  • Layer 2 (L2) – Built on top of L1 to make it cheaper/faster (Arbitrum, Base).
  • Liquidity Pool – A pool of tokens that powers trading on a DEX.

M

  • Mainnet – The “real money” live version of a blockchain.
  • Maxi – Person who only believes in one coin.
  • Mint – Creating a new NFT or token.

N

  • NFT – Non-Fungible Token. A unique digital asset (art, collectibles, access passes, game items).
  • Node – A computer that helps run and verify the network.

P

  • Private Key – Secret code that lets you control your wallet.
  • Public Key – Linked to your wallet; others can send funds to it.
  • Proof of Stake (PoS) – Networks secured by staked tokens.
  • Proof of Work (PoW) – Networks secured by computing power.

R

  • Rekt – Slang: lost a lot of money.
  • Rug Pull – Project drains liquidity and disappears with the funds.

S

  • Sats / Satoshi – The smallest unit of Bitcoin (1 BTC = 100,000,000 sats).
  • Seed Phrase – 12–24 words that back up your wallet. If someone gets it, they own your crypto.
  • Smart Contract – Code that runs automatically on-chain.
  • Stablecoin – Token that aims to stay at a fixed price (often $1).
  • Staking – Locking tokens to secure a network and earn yield.

T

  • Token – A crypto asset built on top of another chain.
  • TVL – Total Value Locked; how much money is in a DeFi protocol.

W

  • Wallet – How you hold and sign with your crypto.
  • Web3 – The idea of an internet where you control identity and assets, not platforms.
  • Whale – Wallet holding a large amount of crypto.

Content on this site is created with human + AI assistance. This is educational / entertainment only. Not financial advice.

Sponsored placement