Crypto Glossary
Plain-language definitions for 57 crypto and blockchain terms. No padding, no jargon explaining jargon.
A unique alphanumeric identifier used to send and receive cryptocurrency.
Infrastructure that transfers assets or data between two separate blockchains.
The protocol by which distributed blockchain nodes agree on the valid state of the ledger.
Describes interactions, transactions, or protocols that operate across multiple blockchains.
The Ethereum upgrade that introduced a base fee burned with every transaction, making ETH partially deflationary.
The unit of computation cost for executing operations on Ethereum and EVM-compatible blockchains.
A backward-incompatible blockchain upgrade that permanently splits the chain if nodes don't upgrade.
A scaling network built on top of a base blockchain that inherits its security while offering faster, cheaper transactions.
The waiting room for unconfirmed transactions before they are included in a block.
An external data feed that brings off-chain information — prices, events, random numbers — onto the blockchain.
A consensus mechanism where validators lock up (stake) tokens as collateral to propose and attest to blocks.
A consensus mechanism requiring miners to expend computational energy solving cryptographic puzzles to produce blocks.
A Layer 2 scaling technique that executes transactions off-chain and posts compressed proofs to a base chain.
Self-executing code deployed on a blockchain that automatically enforces predefined conditions without intermediaries.
A node that participates in a Proof of Stake consensus by staking collateral to propose and attest to blocks.
Software or hardware that stores private keys and signs blockchain transactions on behalf of the user.
A cryptographic method allowing one party to prove knowledge of a secret without revealing the secret itself.