Welcome to the FastCryptoNews Crypto Wiki, your essential guide to understanding the fundamental concepts, terminology, and technologies shaping the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Whether you’re a curious beginner, a new holder, or someone who’s been in the space but still feels lost in the jargon — this glossary is for you.
This resource is designed to explain each term in simple, clear language, avoiding unnecessary complexity while giving you enough context to confidently navigate the crypto ecosystem. From tokens and protocols to security practices and decentralized finance (DeFi), this Wiki is a practical tool to help you make informed decisions in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Knowledge is power — especially in crypto. Start here.
AAVE (ETHLend)
EN: AAVE, formerly known as ETHLend, is a prominent DeFi (Decentralized Finance) protocol that allows crypto lending and borrowing through an intuitive interface. It revolutionized the lending sector by enabling trustless loans via smart contracts. ES: AAVE, anteriormente ETHLend, es un protocolo DeFi destacado que permite préstamos y créditos con criptomonedas mediante contratos inteligentes, cambiando el panorama financiero descentralizado.
Airdrop
EN: An airdrop is a promotional event where crypto tokens are distributed for free, usually to raise awareness or reward early users. ES: El airdrop es una estrategia para dar visibilidad a un token, regalando criptomonedas a los usuarios de forma gratuita como incentivo o promoción.
Algoritmo (Algorithm)
EN: A sequence of defined steps used to solve a problem. In crypto, algorithms control consensus mechanisms like Proof of Work or Proof of Stake. ES: Conjunto de pasos ordenados para resolver un problema. En blockchain, regula la forma de validar transacciones y mantener la red segura.
Altcoin
EN: Any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. Altcoins often aim to improve upon Bitcoin’s features or serve specific purposes. ES: Moneda alternativa a Bitcoin. Suelen ofrecer mejoras o nuevas funcionalidades para diversificar el ecosistema.
Altura de Bloque (Block Height)
EN: The number assigned to a block that indicates its position in the blockchain. ES: Valor numérico que indica la posición de un bloque dentro de la cadena.
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
EN: International laws designed to prevent criminal organizations from disguising illegal funds as legitimate income. ES: Conjunto de leyes contra el lavado de dinero, aplicadas para evitar que fondos de origen criminal se legalicen.
API (Application Programming Interface)
EN: A set of tools and protocols for building software applications, often enabling communication between systems. ES: Conjunto de funciones que permiten a los desarrolladores crear software y comunicar sistemas.
API Descentralizada (dAPI)
EN: Decentralized APIs use blockchain nodes and data oracles to deliver reliable data without central intermediaries. ES: APIs que operan sobre blockchain mediante oráculos descentralizados, sin depender de terceros.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
EN: Expresses the annual cost of borrowing or the return on an investment, not accounting for compound interest. ES: Tasa anual equivalente de interés sin incluir el interés compuesto.
APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
EN: Indicates the total earnings on an investment including compound interest over a year. ES: Tasa de retorno que incluye el interés compuesto a lo largo de un año.
Aragon
EN: Aragon is a development framework for creating and managing DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations). ES: Plataforma que permite la creación rápida de organizaciones autónomas descentralizadas.
Arbitraje (Arbitrage)
EN: Buying a crypto asset in one market and selling it in another to profit from price differences. ES: Comprar una criptomoneda a menor precio en un exchange y venderla en otro más caro.
Árbol de Merkle (Merkle Tree)
EN: A data structure that summarizes and verifies the integrity of large data sets, used in blockchains to secure transactions. ES: Estructura de datos que organiza transacciones y genera un identificador único para verificar su validez.
ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit)
EN: Specialized hardware designed to perform a specific task, commonly used in cryptocurrency mining. ES: Circuito diseñado para tareas específicas como minar criptomonedas eficientemente.
ASIC Resistant
EN: A protocol design aimed at preventing the use of ASICs in mining to ensure fair participation. ES: Protección contra el uso de ASICs para evitar la centralización de la minería.
Asset
EN: Refers to any valuable item, physical or digital. In crypto, it often means a tokenized representation of value. ES: Activo que puede representar digitalmente bienes físicos o virtuales.
Astroturfing
EN: Fake grassroots marketing campaign meant to create the illusion of organic support. ES: Campaña falsa de apoyo popular para promocionar un producto o criptomoneda.
Ataque Sybil (Sybil Attack)
EN: A malicious strategy where one entity controls multiple identities to manipulate a network. ES: Ataque donde un solo actor usa muchas identidades para alterar el comportamiento de una red descentralizada.
Atomic Swap
EN: Atomic Swaps allow for peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading between different blockchains without intermediaries. These swaps happen at a basic protocol level through smart contracts that ensure both parties fulfill their side of the deal simultaneously.
ES: Los Atomic Swaps permiten el intercambio entre pares de criptomonedas de diferentes blockchains sin intermediarios. Estos intercambios ocurren a nivel básico mediante contratos inteligentes que aseguran que ambas partes cumplan con su parte del trato al mismo tiempo.
Automated Market Maker (AMM)
EN: AMMs are decentralized protocols that enable digital asset trading without the need for centralized exchanges. Prices are determined by mathematical formulas, and liquidity is provided by users who earn passive income through transaction fees.
ES: Los AMMs son protocolos descentralizados que permiten el comercio de activos digitales sin intercambios centralizados. Los precios se calculan con fórmulas matemáticas y la liquidez es provista por usuarios que ganan comisiones por transacción.
Bit2Me Token (B2M)
EN: B2M is the utility token of Bit2Me, used to support the development of the company’s products, reward holders, and enable DeFi services within the Bit2Me ecosystem.
ES: B2M es el token de utilidad de Bit2Me, usado para impulsar el desarrollo de productos de la empresa, recompensar a sus tenedores y habilitar servicios DeFi en su ecosistema.
Balancer (BAL)
EN: Balancer is a DeFi protocol on Ethereum that allows the creation of automated markets using customizable liquidity pools, enabling decentralized and efficient token swaps.
ES: Balancer es un protocolo DeFi en Ethereum que permite crear mercados automatizados con pools de liquidez personalizables, facilitando intercambios descentralizados de tokens.
Whale
EN: A Whale is an individual or group that holds a significant amount of a cryptocurrency, enough to influence market trends through large trades.
ES: Una Ballena es una persona o grupo que posee grandes cantidades de una criptomoneda, con capacidad de influir en el mercado al realizar operaciones importantes.
Basic Attention Token (BAT)
EN: BAT is an ERC-20 token designed for the Brave browser. It rewards users for viewing ads and supports a privacy-focused advertising model.
ES: BAT es un token ERC-20 creado para el navegador Brave, que recompensa a los usuarios por ver anuncios y promueve un modelo publicitario respetuoso con la privacidad.
Bitcoin Days Destroyed
EN: A metric used to measure transaction activity by considering both the amount of Bitcoin moved and the age of the coins since last moved.
ES: Métrica que mide la actividad de transacciones considerando la cantidad de Bitcoin transferido y el tiempo desde su último movimiento.
Bitcoin Evangelist
EN: A person who actively promotes and educates others about Bitcoin, its technology, and its benefits.
ES: Persona que difunde activamente información sobre Bitcoin, su tecnología y sus ventajas.
Bitcoin Lead Developer
EN: The main coordinator in a Bitcoin-related project who aligns the vision of the project with the distributed contributions of developers.
ES: Coordinador principal en un proyecto relacionado con Bitcoin, encargado de alinear la visión con las contribuciones de los desarrolladores.
Bitcoin Script
EN: The programming language used by Bitcoin to define transaction rules and enable advanced functionalities like multi-signature wallets.
ES: Lenguaje de programación que utiliza Bitcoin para definir reglas de transacción y permitir funciones avanzadas como monederos multifirma.
bitcoind
EN: The original Bitcoin client implementation that allows direct interaction with the blockchain through RPC commands. Available for multiple operating systems.
ES: Cliente original de Bitcoin que permite interacción directa con la blockchain mediante comandos RPC. Disponible en varios sistemas operativos.
Blockchain
EN: A distributed ledger technology that allows secure, transparent, and tamper-proof recording of transactions across a decentralized network.
ES: Tecnología de libro mayor distribuido que permite registrar transacciones de forma segura, transparente y a prueba de manipulaciones en una red descentralizada.
Permissioned Blockchain
EN: A private blockchain where participants must be authorized by a central entity. More efficient but less decentralized.
ES: Blockchain privada donde los participantes deben ser autorizados por una entidad central. Más eficiente pero menos descentralizada.
Public Blockchain
EN: A fully open blockchain network where anyone can participate, validate transactions, and maintain the ledger. Resistant to censorship.
ES: Red blockchain completamente abierta donde cualquiera puede participar, validar transacciones y mantener el libro contable. Resistente a la censura.
Blockchain Explorer
EN: A tool or website that allows users to view and verify blockchain transactions and block information in real time.
ES: Herramienta o sitio web que permite ver y verificar en tiempo real las transacciones y bloques de una blockchain.
Blockstack (STX)
EN: A second-layer protocol for Bitcoin that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications with improved scalability.
ES: Protocolo de segunda capa para Bitcoin que permite contratos inteligentes y aplicaciones descentralizadas con mayor escalabilidad.
Bloom Filter
EN: A data structure used to efficiently check whether an element is present in a set, often used in search and blockchain applications.
ES: Estructura de datos usada para verificar eficientemente si un elemento pertenece a un conjunto, común en búsquedas y aplicaciones blockchain.
Block
EN: The fundamental unit of a blockchain, containing a list of validated transactions and a reference to the previous block.
ES: Unidad fundamental de una blockchain que contiene transacciones validadas y una referencia al bloque anterior.
Genesis Block
EN: The very first block in a blockchain network, such as Bitcoin’s, mined by its creator and forming the foundation of the chain.
ES: Primer bloque de una blockchain, como el de Bitcoin, minado por su creador y que forma la base de la cadena.
Orphan Block
EN: A valid block that is not part of the main blockchain due to network timing issues or alternative chains.
ES: Bloque válido que no forma parte de la cadena principal debido a problemas de sincronización o cadenas alternativas.
Bot Trading
EN: Automated software that places and executes buy/sell orders based on predefined trading strategies.
ES: Software automatizado que realiza operaciones de compra/venta según estrategias comerciales predefinidas.
Bloodbath
EN: A market crash scenario where cryptocurrency prices fall drastically, typically resulting in widespread panic.
ES: Escenario de desplome del mercado donde los precios caen drásticamente y se genera pánico generalizado.
BTFD (Buy The F***ing Dip)
EN: A phrase used by investors who see price drops as opportunities to buy cheap assets.
ES: Frase usada por inversores que ven las caídas de precio como oportunidades para comprar activos baratos.
Brainwallet
EN: A crypto wallet generated from a memorized phrase or password rather than using a random seed phrase.
ES: Monedero de criptomonedas creado a partir de una frase memorizada, en lugar de una semilla generada aleatoriamente.
Bulletproofs
EN: A type of cryptographic proof that enhances privacy and efficiency in blockchain transactions.
ES: Prueba criptográfica que mejora la privacidad y eficiencia en las transacciones blockchain.
CBDC
EN: Central Bank Digital Currencies are state-issued digital currencies aimed at modernizing money with blockchain-like technology.
ES: Monedas digitales emitidas por bancos centrales que buscan modernizar el dinero usando tecnologías similares a blockchain.
CFD (Contracts for Difference)
EN: Financial derivatives that allow investors to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset.
ES: Derivados financieros que permiten especular sobre movimientos de precios sin poseer el activo subyacente.
CheckSequenceVerify (CSV)
EN: A Bitcoin scripting operation that enforces time-based conditions for spending funds, enabling advanced transaction controls.
ES: Operación del lenguaje de Bitcoin que permite condiciones basadas en tiempo para gastar fondos, habilitando controles avanzados en transacciones.
CheckSum
Checksum is a simple cryptographic function that allows us to verify and accurately determine whether a Bitcoin address is spelled correctly. A simple utility that allows us to identify typing errors and other types of errors. All this is done to avoid losing our funds by sending our Bitcoins to a malformed address.
Child Pays For Parents
Child Pays For Parent (CPFP) transactions are those in which a transaction is created with a higher mining fee, so that when this new transaction is sent to the network it forces the confirmation of a previous transaction that is not yet confirmed.
Private Key
A randomly generated set of characters of any type that serves as a unique, non-transferable password. It is generated based on a mathematical algorithm and is always accompanied by another text called the public key. Unlike the public key, the private key should NEVER be revealed, given away, or lost.
Public Key
A personal identifier based on our private key that we can safely share with others. In cryptocurrencies, they are used to generate addresses to which other people can send cryptocurrency.
Cloud Mining
It consists of renting mining power for a cryptocurrency from a company that offers this service over the Internet.
CLTV (CheckLockTimeVerify)
CLTV, or CheckLockTimeVerify, is an interesting time-lock feature in Bitcoin designed to allow scripts to perform advanced time-based scheduling on their transactions. This feature allows for advanced script programming tailored to the ever-increasing demand for features within Bitcoin.
Coinbase (concept)
Also known as a «Generation Transaction,» it’s a special type of transaction in the protocol of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Unlike a normal transaction, the origin of the transaction comes «out of nowhere.» It occurs when a miner creates a block and is the type of transaction through which new cryptocurrencies enter circulation.
Coinbase (exchange)
It is an exchange house located in San Francisco, California, that allows the exchange of cryptocurrencies for fiat money and vice versa.
Coinbase Maturity
Coinbase Maturity is a security feature applied to Coinbase cryptocurrency transactions. Its purpose is to prevent miners from using newly mined coins until a certain number of confirmations are made on that new balance, thereby avoiding some security risks and associated double-spending.
CoinJoin
CoinJoin is a decentralized and secure coin mixing protocol for Bitcoin and supported cryptocurrencies that enhances user privacy and anonymity by protecting their identities from blockchain and Big Data analytics tools.
CoinSwap
CoinSwap is a decentralized protocol that would allow cryptocurrency users to privately and securely exchange their coins directly. This means that no intermediary of any kind is involved, except for the users interested in the exchange.
Cold Wallet
A wallet that isn’t connected to the blockchain, but whose coins are stored on it. It can be a USB flash drive that stores coins or a piece of paper with a QR code.
Collectible token
They are collectible items within the Ethereum blockchain under ERC-721, where each token refers to a unique item with a specific value. The most popular is CryptoKitties, but there are many others.
Colored Coin
Colored coins are one of the attempts by the cryptocurrency community and developers to expand the functionality of Bitcoin by allowing the creation of tokens to represent other currencies or assets of interest on a blockchain.
Network Commission
It’s the fee that each Bitcoin user pays when making a transaction on the network. It’s part of the incentive miners receive for their work in keeping the network active and operational. Each cryptocurrency sets a minimum fee.
Compact Block
Compact Blocks are simply a small adaptation to the way the protocol can transmit block information between the nodes that make up the network.
Compound (COMP)
Compound (COMP) is currently one of the most exciting DeFi protocols around, thanks to its liquidity pool, rewards, and governance operating model.
Consent
Consensus is based on the fact that all members of the blockchain must agree on the validation of the blocks and their content.
Criptoeuro (EUROChain)
The crypto euro, or EUROChain, is a project that seeks to transform the current euro into a central bank digital currency (CBDC), transforming it into 21st-century money.
Encryption
Cryptography is a technique used to safeguard data and prevent unauthorized third parties from accessing valuable information or altering it for their own benefit or to the detriment of others.
Asymmetric cryptography
Also known as public-key cryptography, it is used to send messages based on a public key and a private key. Both are involved in encrypting the transferred information, as well as verifying that the original information has not been altered.
Symmetric cryptography
Called secret key or single-key cryptography, it is used to encrypt and decrypt the message by the sender and receiver, who have agreed on the key to be used to encrypt the message sent by the sender and decrypt it by the receiver.
Criptojacking
It’s a widespread form of illegal cryptocurrency mining. In this type of attack, the victim mines cryptocurrency for the attacker without the latter’s permission.
Cryptocurrencies
It is a type of cryptographic token based on blockchain technology that acts as a monetary asset since it allows the transfer and storage of value.
Cross-chain Swaps
Cross-chain swaps are a type of P2P exchange that allows us to securely convert our cryptocurrencies or others without any intermediaries.
CryptoNight
The CryptoNight mining algorithm is designed to be especially CPU-efficient and ASIC-resistant. This is intended to allow for greater decentralization of mining for cryptocurrencies that utilize it, but also to allow these cryptocurrencies to offer advanced privacy and anonymity options.
Cryptowars
CryptoWars refers to a series of events carried out by different governments, but especially the United States government, to control cryptographic technology and, in general, violate our right to privacy.
Curve (CRV)
Curve (CRV) is a decentralized exchange (DEX) and liquidity pool that allows you to trade stablecoins quickly and easily.
DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)
DAGs, or Directed Acyclic Graphs, are a mathematical and computational construct that allows for the creation of distributed systems and networks with many functional similarities to those offered by blockchain technology.
COME ON
The DAI (DAI) cryptocurrency is an ERC-20 token designed to function as a stablecoin pegged to the dollar. This currency is issued in a decentralized manner thanks to the collateralization of guarantees that ensure its issuance at all times.
DAICO
Evolution of an ICO. The entire investment is raised during the ICO phase, but funds are released as development progresses, established milestones are reached, or as verified financing is needed. The DAICO was created to give investors control over liquidity.
KNIFE
The Spanish translation is Independent Autonomous Body. These are open-source, decentralized systems that do not require a human operator or supervisor. They can operate independently of their developers and third parties once certain pre-agreed requirements are met and reflected in a smart contract.
DAPP
They are decentralized applications that run autonomously, storing data within the blockchain and operating according to established parameters.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
DeFi is an ecosystem of smart contracts and decentralized applications that aim to build a range of financial services based on blockchain technology, allowing them to be completely decentralized, secure, and global.
Deflation
An economic process in which the cost of goods falls, causing the value of fiat money to rise. It also generates a hoarding of fiat money to purchase goods at the lowest possible price.
Decentralization
A fundamental element of a cryptocurrency and one of its basic properties. It is based on the fact that users, not private companies, states, or other centralized organizations, validate transactions and determine a currency’s value.
Decentralized
A term used to indicate that behind a cryptocurrency and its blockchain network, there is no private company, organization, third-party code, or State that regulates, controls, or manipulates it.
DEX – Decentralized Exchange
It is a peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of cryptocurrencies without the need for custody, meaning the user retains control of their private keys when transacting on the DEX platform. Lacking a central authority, DEXs employ smart contracts that self-execute under set conditions and record each transaction on the blockchain.
Difficulty
This is the value that indicates the degree of complexity of the problem or puzzle to be solved on a Proof-of-Work blockchain network. It is variable and its value depends on the power of the network and the miner. It adjusts automatically based on the state of the network.
Bitcoin Address
It’s an identifier of between 27 and 34 alphanumeric characters, typically beginning with a 1 or 3. They’re easily generated using a type of program called a wallet. Bitcoin is a system based on asymmetric cryptography, so when you generate a Bitcoin address, you generate two keys: public and private. A Bitcoin address is simply the public key, which you use to receive money and display your Bitcoin «account number.»
Bitcoin Exchange Address
These are addresses implemented in Bitcoin wallets that allow users to return their change. This change is similar to what we receive when we go shopping, and they return the difference between the amount given and what the store charged.
Multi-signature address
Multi-signature addresses are Bitcoin addresses that, unlike standard Bitcoin addresses, can be managed by many people at the same time.
Discrete Log Contracts (DLC)
Discrete Log Contracts, or DLCs, are a proposal to implement smart contract implementations in Bitcoin that allow for the creation of blockchain oracles that are easy to implement, secure, and easy to use.
DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology)
Acronym for Distributed Ledger Technology. It’s a term that encompasses the entire category of decentralized networks or distributed consensus systems that exist. The common characteristic of the «DLT» network category is that it doesn’t require a central database or central decision-making entity. The first functional and operational DLT was the Bitcoin blockchain network, which has been operating continuously since 2009.
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS stands for Domain Name System. This hierarchical network naming system, in addition to being distributed, also acts as a translator for domain names.
Double Spending
A fraudulent operation typical of digital money, based on using the same coins twice to purchase or pay for something. This type of counterfeiting is one of the main problems that Bitcoin solves.
Of the
DoS attacks are a type of cyberattack used by cybercriminals to temporarily disable computer systems and services, preventing legitimate users from accessing them.
DPoS
It’s a consensus protocol designed for highly scalable blockchains. This algorithm was created by Daniel Larimer in 2014.
Dump
Dump is a price manipulation scheme where the price of an asset is forced to fall.
Dusting Attack
It is one of the most widely used malicious attacks on blockchain, intended to breach the privacy of cryptocurrency users.
ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Secure Algorithm)
ECDSA stands for Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm. This system is used to create a digital signature that allows third-party verification without compromising security.
EdDSA (Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm)
The EdDSA cryptographic signature scheme is one of the most secure cryptographic digital signature systems currently in use, and its evolution continues. Currently, EdDSA is clearly demonstrating its promise: security, efficiency, and speed.
Ethereum Improvements Proposals (EIP)
EIPs, or Ethereum Improvements Proposals, are a document structure that standardizes the development of improvements within Ethereum, allowing anyone to submit their proposals and thus improve the development of this blockchain.
Emission
It is the rate at which new coins are created and released within a cryptocurrency network. Also known as the Issuance Curve, Issuance Rate, or Issuance Schedule.
EOS
EOS is a blockchain platform designed with a very simple goal: to be a commercially capable blockchain. This means it’s capable of deploying decentralized applications (DApps), being highly scalable, and serving millions of concurrent users.
EOSREX
EOSREX was created to create a dynamic, decentralized marketplace where users could sell resources such as CPU, network, or memory within EOS, thus allowing people to use their resources and make money from them.
Equihash
Equihash is a cryptocurrency mining algorithm that uses the well-known «Birthday Problem» to define a proof-of-work complex enough to guarantee the security of the network implementing this algorithm. It is used in cryptocurrencies such as Zcash (ZEC) and derivatives.
ERC-1155
ERC-1155 tokens are a new type of standard token within Ethereum, capable of changing the landscape of DApps within this blockchain, thanks to their multi-token capability and a new number of features designed to provide a better user and programming experience.
ERC-20
An ERC-20 token is simply a smart contract with a pre-established data structure. This structure is designed to facilitate the implementation of various functionalities on the Ethereum blockchain, thus simplifying the development process for developers.
ERC-721
The Ethereum network’s ERC-721 tokens base their existence and operation on leveraging digital scarcity to take advantage of the effect created by limited-edition products. Unlike ERC-20 tokens, their appeal lies in how their uniqueness enhances their collectibility.
Digital scarcity
Digital scarcity is a new concept that addresses the limitation of resources in digital format. It is closely related to blockchain technology and the maintenance of its decentralized economic system.
ETF
An ETF is a financial tool that facilitates the adoption of securities within different markets so that they can be managed more conveniently by investors and companies, while also providing strong protection and regulation.
Ethereum
An open-source network based on blockchain technology whose purpose is to develop decentralized applications with the intention of avoiding censorship, fraud attempts, or third-party interference. It is also the name given to the cryptocurrency that underpins the network.
Ethereum Classic
Ethereum Classic is the project that followed the original path of the Ethereum blockchain after one of the most debated hard forks on the network.
Ethereum Foundation
The Ethereum Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to maximizing the development of Ethereum as a technology and community worldwide.
Evan Duffield
Evan Duffield is a well-known American software developer. Duffield is responsible for creations such as the X11 mining algorithm and Dash, a cryptocurrency focused on instant transactions and supporting anonymous transactions.
EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)
The EVM, or Ethereum Virtual Machine, is a Turing-complete virtual machine whose mission is to execute the programming code for Ethereum operations. Ethereum nodes operate within the EVM to maintain blockchain consensus.
Exchange
Digital exchange that allows you to exchange fiat money for cryptocurrencies and/or cryptocurrencies between themselves.
Centralized Exchange (CEX)
A centralized digital exchange that allows funds to be deposited into an account or wallet within the exchange. The platform itself performs the exchange for us, based on the data parameters.
Decentralized Exchange (DEX)
Decentralized, open-source blockchain-based digital exchange. No one controls a DEX; buyers and sellers transact through a peer-to-peer exchange.
Exchange híbridas (Hybrid Crypto Exchange o HEX)
Hybrid digital exchange that offers the functionality and liquidity of CEX platforms, as well as the confidentiality and security of DEX platforms. These systems are still under development.
Fabian Vogelsteller
Fabian Vogelsteller is a programmer well known for his important work related to DApps and smart contracts on Ethereum.
Byzantine fault
It is a condition of a computing system, specifically distributed computing systems. This condition occurs when one or more components have failed, and there is no precise information about whether a component has failed or whether the system information is correct.
Faucet
These are websites that give you a small fraction of a cryptocurrency for performing a simple action (such as completing a captcha). They were created to promote Bitcoin and allow anyone to access and trade this cryptocurrency. Today, there are faucets for almost every cryptocurrency on the market.
Fee
Commission charged when any transaction is carried out within a blockchain.
Fiat (fiduciary money)
Fiduciary currency. Paper money issued by different states or a group of states. Examples: Euro, Dollar, Yuan, Ruble, Pound, etc.
Filecoin (FIL)
Filecoin (FIL) is a blockchain network that seeks to create a massive network of decentralized data storage nodes, operating on the basis of smart contracts and a native token known as FIL.
Strict DER signatures
Distinguished Encoding Rules (DER) strict signatures are a type of encoding used to ensure the suitability of a digital signature in any environment, and are used in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies to ensure the validity of digital signatures.
Flippening
Moment long awaited by Ethereum fans when its market capitalization will surpass Bitcoin’s market capitalization.
Flipping
An investment strategy where an asset is purchased to resell it at a higher price within a short period of time. It can be understood both in the context of intraday investing and in investing in ICOs before they are released on exchanges.
FLOW
Flow (FLOW) is a blockchain project and token focused on delivering high-speed operation and advanced smart contract capabilities specifically designed for the world of DApps, gaming, and DeFi.
FOMO
Acronym for «Fear of Missing Out.» This term defines the state of mind people feel within a market when faced with the possibility of missing out on an investment with potential profits, for example, due to rising asset prices, whether due to objective evidence or positive rumors and news.
Fork (chain fork)
Forks , or chain splits, generate an alternative version of the blockchain on which they occur. This creates two blockchains that coexist simultaneously. Examples of these are Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. There are two types of forks: hard fork and soft fork .
Fork (software fork)
A fork in a software project occurs when developers take the source code of an existing project and modify it to create a new project. An example of this is Litecoin, which was born from the source code of Bitcoin.
FPGA
These are tiny semiconductor devices that can be programmed to perform very specific actions quickly and efficiently.
FUD
Acronym for «Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.» This term defines the mood of people within a market in response to a potential drop in asset prices, whether due to objective evidence or negative rumors and news.
Footrest
Person spreading FUD.
Full node (Full node)
These are all the nodes that fully verify all the rules of a cryptocurrency. In Bitcoin, the software for full nodes is called Bitcoin Core.
Full wallet
They are the base wallets for cryptocurrency projects, implementing not only a full node of the cryptocurrency but also all of its functionalities.
Bitcoin Futures
Bitcoin futures are contracts that commit to buying or selling a certain amount of bitcoin in the future at a price previously agreed upon by the parties.
Gas (Ethereum)
Gas is a unit of measurement used to measure the work done by Ethereum to perform transactions or any interaction within the network.
GitHub
The world’s largest free and open source repository. This is where the Bitcoin code and all contributions made to it are stored. Developers and researchers publish their software or code here so everyone can access it and modify it or use it for their systems.
Gossip Protocol
The Gossip Protocol is a protocol that enables the design of highly efficient, secure, and low-latency distributed communications systems.
Candlestick chart
It is a form of graphical representation used to display the historical prices of an asset within a market, allowing the user to obtain a large amount of valuable information quickly and easily.
Graftroot
Graftroot is an enhancement designed to expand the capabilities of Taproot, a proposal that seeks to offer Bitcoin improved capabilities for its programming language by enabling the creation of more powerful smart contracts.
Gregory Maxwell
Gregory Maxwell is a renowned developer of cryptographic systems, streams, and coding in the free software world.
GRIN
GRIN is one of the newest cryptocurrencies to emerge in the crypto world, attracting attention due to its interesting operating system, high scalability, and focus on privacy.
Hal Finney
Hal Finney is a true pioneer: he was the first person to run Bitcoin software after Satoshi Nakamoto and was a key developer during the cryptocurrency’s first year of life.
Halving
An event that halves the rewards of Proof-of-Work miners operating on the blockchain network. Each cryptocurrency establishes how many blocks this automatic adjustment occurs. In Bitcoin, it is every 210,000 mined blocks.
Hard fork
A forced fork of a blockchain, which typically occurs when a significant change is implemented in the software code of one network and the new version of the network no longer recognizes the blocks from the other network.
Hash
Technically, a hash is an output code (unique and alphanumeric) that we obtain by applying an algorithm (hash function) to an input string (plain text, an image, a video, etc.), which allows us to know if the original string has been altered.
Hash Rate
It is the speed at which a processor generates hash values over a period of time. The usual unit of measurement is hashes per second (h/s).
HashCash
HashCash was a solution designed to combat spam by generating a proof of work that allowed verifying that a given email was not spam.
HashGraph
Hashgraph is an interesting consensus protocol and DLT technology that seeks to compete with blockchain technology by offering security and high performance without sacrificing decentralization. It builds upon an entire ecosystem that includes cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, identity, and much more.
HODL
A Bitcointalk forum user’s typo in 2013 changed Holding to Hodling. The mistake caught on and is now commonly used as an acronym for ‘Hold on to dear life.’
Hot Wallet
A wallet that’s always connected to the blockchain. Stored coins can be quickly exchanged with other network members or used for trading.
HTLC
HTLC or Hash Time Locked Contract are a type of smart contract used to create payment channels in Bitcoin and other compatible cryptocurrencies.
Hybrid PoS/PoW
These are blockchain networks that combine Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake to achieve network consensus. These networks strive for parity between miners and holders or voters through a community management system in which both participate.
Hyperledger
Hyperledger is a blockchain and DLT technology project driven by the Linux Foundation, along with a large and diverse group of large technology companies interested in applying this technology to their various production environments, thereby improving the security and reliability of their processes.
ICO
Translated into Spanish as initial coin offering, it refers to the creation of a token as a means of financing a blockchain-based project in its development phase.
Sovereign Identity
It’s a form of digital identity that gives users full control over their data, allowing them to manage who can access it and under what conditions.
IEO (Initial Exchange Offering)
IEOs, or Initial Exchange Offerings, are tools that seek to be a safer substitute for the well-known ICOs, thus providing a gateway to financing blockchain and DLT technology projects around the world.
Inflation
An economic process in which the cost of goods increases, causing the value of fiat money to decrease, causing people to spend only on basic goods.
Input
In a Bitcoin or cryptocurrency transaction, each input refers to the addresses from which the cryptocurrency is received. That is, the addresses from which the coins ‘come in.’
InstantSend (Dash)
Dash InstantSend is an option that allows for instant, low-fee payments.
Compound interest
It is the interest earned on the principal amount (the money deposited into an account) plus the interest that has accrued over a given period of time. Compound interest allows money to be created over time, making it a powerful investment instrument. It differs from simple interest in that the latter refers to the return generated only by the principal deposit.
IPFS (Inter Planetary File System)
IPFS, or InterPlanetary File System, is a decentralized file system that seeks to ensure the security, privacy, and censorship resistance of your data.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
Its literal translation is: «Know your customer.» This is a process by which an entity or company conducting business or a transaction must identify itself with the other party with whom it is conducting the transaction. The idea is to verify the legitimacy and existence of the customer.
kWU (Thousands Weight Units)
Weight unit used to compare the size of different Bitcoin transactions in proportion to the maximum block size limit given by consensus. Weight units are also used instead of bytes, so you get a discount if you try to incorporate more transaction data into a separate space rather than the actual block (which is still 1MB). This is why, for example, sending from a wallet that supports SegWit is much cheaper than sending from one that doesn’t.
Ledger
Its translation is «General Ledger,» and it consists of an accounting record of all transactions in a file or database since the beginning of money and commerce. Blockchain-type networks of cryptocurrencies have the ability to create distributed digital ledgers. There are different types of ledgers in the digital age.
Lightning Network
A decentralized micropayment system that creates a channel for transactions, aiming to streamline transactions and reduce fees. It is currently under development and can be implemented on any cryptocurrency blockchain.
Liquidity
Liquidity is a market characteristic that allows us to recognize whether it is possible to buy or sell an asset quickly and smoothly within that market.
Liquidity Mining
Liquidity mining is a feature and strategy that focuses on incentivizing the injection of liquidity into the protocol in exchange for distributing a series of tokens among users. These tokens grant access to the project’s governance and can also be exchanged for better rewards or other cryptocurrencies.
Liquidity Network
Liquidity Network is an off-chain payment network built on Ethereum to enable instant transaction systems.
Lightweight wallets
These are wallets for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies that are installed on our computer and take up less space on our hard drive and allow for faster synchronization, since it is not necessary to download the complete blockchain information to use it properly.
Litecoin (LTC)
Cryptocurrency that emerged from the implementation of the Bitcoin code with a series of modifications, including the frequency of block issuance and the number of coin units to be distributed. It was launched by Charlie Lee on October 7, 2011, and its logo is silver because it aspires to be the «silver» of the crypto world, where Bitcoin is the «gold.»
Mainnet
This is the main Bitcoin network, where transactions for this cryptocurrency are recorded and carried out. Mainnet bitcoins are those with real value.
Maker
A maker is someone who creates an order on an exchange and specifies the conditions they deem appropriate, such as prices, the amount of the security to be sold or bought, the payment method, among others. They then wait for someone to agree to those conditions and execute the transaction.
MakerDAO
MakerDAO is a project that combines a DAO with a crypto-collateralized stablecoin called DAI to create a complete DeFi ecosystem that enables lending, savings, and more on the Ethereum blockchain.
Transaction malleability
Transaction malleability refers to the ability of an attacker to modify or alter the hash that identifies a transaction within the blockchain. This situation can undoubtedly disrupt and cause serious problems within a payment system like cryptocurrencies.
Margin Trading
Margin trading, or leveraged trading, is a form of trading in which the positions you take are leveraged by the broker or platform you use to participate in the markets. This is done with the goal of multiplying the profits you can make from your successful trades, but at the same time, it increases your chances of losing everything.
MASF
A MASF is a mechanism by which blockchain miners can introduce new updates without affecting its operation.
MAST
MAST, or Merkelized Abstract Syntax Trees, is an important development that is creating several tools that will allow Bitcoin to reach a new level and even give it greater potential for creating advanced smart contracts.
Master Private Key
The Master Private Key is a 256-bit key generated from a seed phrase that allows the creation of an infinite number of keys in a deterministic wallet or HD wallet.
Master Public Key
It allows you to create as many public Bitcoin wallet addresses as you want based on a Master Private Key, which implements a compromise that prevents an attacker from spending the wallet’s contents. It is often used to enable offline storage and spending, or in other words, transactions are performed on a device not connected to the network, and the result is transferred via a USB drive to a device connected to the network. This is the system used by physical or hardware wallets.
Masternode
It’s a type of node that processes blockchain transactions and receives a reward when a block is mined. They are characterized by the fact that to run a masternode on a network, you must have frozen a significant amount of cryptocurrency from that network.
All-time high (markets)
It’s the highest price a cryptocurrency or any other asset has ever reached. The acronym ATH (All Time High) is often used in English.
Mempool
It’s the abbreviation for Memory Pool. A set of unconfirmed transactions on a blockchain. Each time a transaction is made, it goes directly into the mempool, and miners then take groups of transactions to build blocks.
Merged Mining
Merged mining is a protocol that allows two different blockchains that share the same consensus protocol and hash function to mine together without loss of performance and while maintaining a high level of security.
MetaMask
MetaMask is a wallet project that allows us to manage funds and more easily interact with the various DApps running on the Ethereum network, all through a simple web browser extension.
MimbleWimble
This is a protocol that seeks to offer revolutionary privacy, security, and scalability to the cryptocurrency world.
Mining
Cryptocurrency mining is the process of solving a mathematical problem to secure a distributed network. Mining is financially incentivized: miners receive newly issued cryptocurrency from the program, plus fees from transactions they add to the block.
Miner
Anything that attempts to solve the mathematical challenge of a Proof of Work-based blockchain network. Typically, these are computer hardware components dedicated exclusively to solving these problems.
All-time low (markets)
It’s the lowest price a cryptocurrency or any other asset has ever reached in its history. The acronym ATL (All Time Low) is often used in English.
Mixer
A coin mixer is a special feature designed by the crypto community to allow non-anonymous cryptocurrency users to mix their coins with other users’ coins for a greater level of privacy and anonymity, thereby preventing centralized entities from tracking and tracing their coins and the activities their users have had with them.
Off-Ledger Currency
It’s a currency issued outside the ledger and used within it. An example would be a distributed ledger for a national fiat currency.
On-Ledger Currency
It’s a currency issued and used within the ledger. Any cryptocurrency meets this requirement, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc.
MPC Wallet
An MPC Wallet, or Multi-Party Computation Wallet, is a special type of cryptocurrency wallet in which the access keys to the wallet are divided across multiple computing devices, using a multi-signature scheme and zero-knowledge proofs that make them especially more secure than other popular wallet options.
Multisignal (multifirmas)
These are wallets that require more than one key to authorize transactions. This serves to share the responsibility for cryptocurrency ownership and prevent theft, manipulation, or other unauthorized access to other members.
NEO
NEO is a cryptocurrency created with the aim of creating a “smart economy” using a secure, scalable consensus protocol with the ability to execute smart contracts.
Namecoin
Namecoin is a project whose goal is to create a decentralized and secure DNS and identity system using blockchain technology.
Nano
Nano (NANO) is a cryptocurrency project that uses DAG technology instead of blockchain to offer a platform focused on fast, fee-free payments.
NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
NFT tokens, or non-fungible tokens, are a solution created to allow us to represent objects with unique, unrepeatable, and indivisible qualities within a blockchain.
Nick Szabo
Nick Szabo is known as the father of smart contracts and digital currency projects such as Bit Gold, a precursor to what would become Bitcoin almost 10 years later.
nLockTime
nLockTime is the first time-locking feature that Bitcoin had since its inception and was designed by Satoshi Nakamoto, as a way to allow scheduled and time-triggered transactions within the Bitcoin protocol.
Node
Within the blockchain network, nodes are computers that connect to the network and maintain an up-to-date copy of the blockchain. Along with miners, they ensure the network functions properly. Nodes in Bitcoin are very important because they contribute to the mission of maintaining the decentralized network.
Pruned Node
These are a type of full node that allows us to take advantage of the massive security of nodes, while reducing their blockchain storage requirements so we can run them on virtually any device.
Seed Node
A seed node is a special node that allows new nodes to join the network and maintains the network’s strength at all times by allowing them to synchronize and obtain a copy of the blockchain data, replicating it and adding resilience and security to it.
Nonce
It stands for “number that only used once” and is of vital importance, along with the hash, in verifying data on the Bitcoin blockchain network.
Nonce Blinding Protocol (NBP)
The nonce blinding protocol is a protocol designed to improve the security of our hardware wallets or multi-device wallets by adding a cryptographic mechanism capable of minimizing the impact of vulnerabilities such as side-channel attacks or supply chain attacks.
nSequence
It’s an opcode that enables timelocks in Bitcoin and allows us to program certain conditions into transactions that must first be met before the transaction can be definitively accepted on the network. This programming is provided in the sequence field of each Bitcoin transaction when requested.
OP_CODE
Bitcoin Script operation codes are a series of machine language instructions that allow for the execution or performance of certain specific tasks.
OmiseGo (OMG)
The OmiseGO (OMG) project is a payment system project that seeks to bridge the gap between cryptocurrency and traditional payments using a single, high-speed infrastructure that enables banks, businesses, exchanges, and customers to use their cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies quickly, easily, and with complete interoperability.
Oracle
Oracles are automated systems that obtain information from different sources or users and input it into the blockchain network used in smart contracts. This is something provided by the Ethereum network.
OTC (Over-The-Counter)
These are types of operations or transactions that do not operate or trade on a formal exchange. They are a legal form of trading used by many companies to participate in the cryptocurrency market without generating adverse reactions, maintaining privacy and saving money on their investment.
Output (Salida)
In a Bitcoin or cryptocurrency transaction, each output refers to the addresses to which the money is sent. That is, the addresses to which the coins are ‘sent’.
P2P
They are peer-to-peer networks, also known as point-to-point networks. They refer to decentralized networks where information is shared between two users via a network or internet connection, with no intermediary other than software that connects them.
P2PK
The P2PK blocking script is the initial scripting model that Bitcoin used to send and receive cryptocurrency in its early days. A simple and elegant scripting model that allowed us to explore the power of Bitcoin and opened the door to this exciting technology.
P2PKH
This is the technical name for standard Bitcoin addresses; they are owned by a single user. They all begin with the number 1.
P2SH
This is the technical name for Bitcoin multi-signature addresses. They are owned by two or more users and prevent any one individual from spending the coins freely. They all begin with the number 3.
Payments Channels
Payment Channels are a technology designed to enable instant, non-custodial payments between two or more people using a cryptocurrency. This is intended to offer a better payment experience with excellent security and very low fees.
Phil Zimmerman
Phil Zimmermann is an American cryptographer responsible for the creation of the symmetric and asymmetric cryptography software, Pretty Good Privacy (PGP).
Pizza Day (Bitcoin)
It commemorates the May 22, 2010, anniversary of Lazslo Hayneck’s exchange of 10,000 Bitcoins for two pizzas at the American chain Papa John’s. It is considered the first Bitcoin transaction for a tangible good.
Development Platform
Special environments focused on the development and creation of blockchain-backed applications. These are cloud-based development systems that allow for highly agile development.
Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot (DOT) is an innovative blockchain project that aims to create a secure interconnection infrastructure between different blockchains, while providing scalability and new functionalities to them.
Polygon (MATIC)
Polygon (MATIC) is a scalability project that enables decentralized applications to run on a network with lower fees, greater speed, and interoperability with the Ethereum network.
Mining pool
Combining resources from multiple miners to achieve greater mining power and thus earn higher rewards for opening blocks. Some are public and others are private.
Portfolio
Investment portfolios are a set of financial tools that investors possess and use to multiply their financial assets. Learn more about these tools and why cryptocurrencies are an excellent option for building investment portfolios.
PrivateSend
It’s a Dash feature that allows for private transactions. Not only that, these transactions are also completely anonymous.
Proof of Authority (PoA)
It’s an advanced consensus protocol that uses identity and reputation to select transaction validators within its blockchain. This aims to achieve high scalability.
Proof of Burn (PoB)
Proof of Burn (PoB) is a particular consensus protocol in which miners gain the power to mine a block by “burning” a portion of the tokens they hold.
Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET)
This is a consensus algorithm that uses very specific instructions from Intel processors (Intel SGX) to create a powerful and highly scalable cryptographic proof, enabling high-performance blockchain for industries, such as the Linux Foundation’s HyperLedger.
Proof of Stake (PoS)
In Spanish, it can be translated as «proof of stake» and is a system for validating network transactions based on a series of masternodes that store cryptocurrency in a wallet.
Proof of Work (PoW)
In Spanish, ‘proof of work’ is a system for validating network transactions by solving mathematical operations using specialized computing equipment.
Protocol 0x
The 0x protocol, developed within Project 0x, represents one of the greatest advances in the creation of fully decentralized exchange applications on Ethereum blockchains, while still providing security and speed.
Pump
An English term that expresses a sudden and significant increase in the value of a cryptocurrency. This can be triggered by a single person or group of individuals, or by a significant event that generates a massive cryptocurrency purchase movement.
Token burning
It is the elimination of a certain number of tokens by the development team of a specific project. All burned tokens automatically cease to function and have no value.
Ralph Merkle
Ralph Merkle is one of the world’s most renowned computer scientists and cryptographers, thanks to his creation of public-key encryption and Merkle trees.
RandomX
RandomX is the name of the new mining algorithm for Monero, the privacy coin whose objective is to keep the network protected from ASIC mining, allowing only CPU mining, while at the same time providing enormous security to its protocol and blockchain.
Block reward
It is the acquisition of cryptocurrency after correctly solving a block. It is obtained as compensation for the work done in validating blocks.
Centralized network
It is a network where information is distributed from a single point.
Decentralized network
A node-based system where information is distributed in a tree-like structure. Central nodes distribute information to intermediate nodes, which in turn can decide whether or not to distribute the information.
Distributed network
Any recipient of information can be a sender of information. Recipients choose the source of information they consider. Social media, and more specifically Twitter, can represent this model, where the recipient of information can also contribute information.
RenBTC
RenBTC is an ERC-20 token that is part of the Ren Protocol project, which enables a decentralized representation of Bitcoin within Ethereum.
RenVM
RenVM, one of Ren Protocol’s creations, is a virtual machine that runs on a second-layer protocol built on top of Ethereum and aims to enable the creation of pegged tokens controlled by a completely decentralized infrastructure.
Replace by Fee (RBF)
System for modifying an unmodified transaction. To prevent denial of service attacks, the new transaction replacing the previous one must pay its fee and the fee of the transaction it is replacing.
Rig
A mining rig is a set of hardware elements, whether CPU, GPU, FPGA or ASIC, that have been arranged to mine cryptocurrencies.
Ripple
It’s considered the cryptocurrency of traditional banking and classified as a centralized cryptocurrency. It’s designed for banking transactions, making them agile, validated in seconds, and with extremely low fees.
Roger Ver
A successful entrepreneur and a great visionary, Roger Ver is one of those who fits between these two definitions within the world of cryptocurrencies. From a very early age, Ver bet on Bitcoin and blockchain technology, becoming one of the largest investors in the sector and a tireless promoter of the technology, which led him to earn the nickname «Bitcoin Jesus.»
RSK
RSK (RootStock) is a platform designed to allow the creation of smart contracts within the Bitcoin blockchain, but without changing anything in the way Bitcoin works.
Satoshi
A satoshi is the smallest unit into which a bitcoin can be divided and is equivalent to 0.00000001 Bitcoin (BTC). It owes its name to the name of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Pseudonym of the person (or group of people) who developed and disseminated the original idea for Bitcoin and the world’s first blockchain network. Their real name, or whether they are an individual, a group of people, or a company, is unknown.
Script
It’s a lighter and faster cryptographic algorithm than SHA-256, so processing time is lower and simpler components, such as mainstream processors and graphics cards, are required. This algorithm is much more dependent on memory than on CPU computing power.
Security Token
Security Tokens are cryptographic tokens similar to any other, but linked to traditional securities.
Seed Phrase
The seed phrase refers to a set of 12 to 24 words, the purpose of which is to offer us an easy and simple way to back up our cryptocurrency wallet.
SegWit
Segregated Witness technology represents a change in the Bitcoin transaction format proposed by Blockstream and developed by Bitcoin Core. It was implemented through a soft fork in the Bitcoin network. Other cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin and DigiByte have also adopted it.
SHA-256
It is the cryptographic algorithm used in the Bitcoin network to mine this cryptocurrency and create its addresses. SHA stands for ‘Secure Hash Algorithm,’ a concept developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
Shafi Goldwasser
Shafi Goldwasser is one of the leading female figures in the world of cryptography, with work ranging from the construction and application of random number generators, probabilistic cryptography, computation theory, and distributed systems.
Sharding
Sharding is a computing technique that seeks to divide a database or network to make its operation much more scalable and decentralized.
Shilling
An uncontrolled, excessive, and highly dramatic way of promoting a coin, ICO, or asset with the intention of convincing other investors of its value. In many cases, the action is carried out by different actors in concert, practicing astroturfing.
Shitcoin
It’s a pejorative term that refers to an altcoin that lacks value or is predicted to have a short lifespan due to the inconsistency of its code, team, or project. It’s a concept coined in English and is composed of the words «shit» and «coin,» literally meaning «shitty coin.»
Siacoin
Siacoin (SC) is an interesting proposal that uses the power and potential of blockchain technology to create a secure and uncensorable cloud storage system.
Sidechain
It is an alternative blockchain whose objective is to improve the performance of an existing blockchain.
Signature Aggregation
Signature Aggregation is a cryptographic technique used to combine two or more digital signatures. It is a process that combines these signatures to form a single, valid digital signature for a document or digital information, which can be easily verified.
Skynet (Sia)
Skynet is a new distributed data storage service presented by the Sia project, which aims to create a simple and adaptable system for mass storage for websites, backups, and applications of any kind.
Smarts contracts
Also known as a ‘smart contract,’ it’s a digital agreement between two or more parties for goods, services, or anything else imaginable. Once all requirements are met, it’s automatically settled, and the parties receive the previously agreed-upon amount.
Soft fork
A minor update to a blockchain network’s software code that is backward compatible and does not cause the network to fork, resulting in what would be called a hard fork.
Solidity (programming language)
This is a programming language created to facilitate the task of programming smart contracts and DApps for the Ethereum ecosystem and powered by the EVM.
Spread
This is a programming language created to facilitate the task of programming smart contracts and DApps for the Ethereum ecosystem and powered by the EVM.
SputnikVM
SputnikVM is one of the great innovations born from the hard work of the Ethereum Classic development team and its ETC Labs Core.
SPV Wallets
This is a way for cryptocurrency wallets and purses to operate quickly, easily, and using few resources.
Stablecoin
A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency created with the aim of keeping its value stable.
Staking
The staking process involves acquiring cryptocurrency and locking it in a wallet in order to receive profits or rewards.
Succint Atomic Swap
Succinct Atomic Swap (SAS) is a novel type of atomic swap that simplifies these types of transactions, while offering much faster, cheaper, safer, and intermediary-free exchange options.
SWAP (Atomic Swap)
The word “swap” means “exchange.” Atomic Swap is a term used to define a feature that allows you to exchange cryptocurrencies that operate on different blockchains, but without intermediaries. For example, to move from Bitcoin to Ethereum, a centralized exchange is currently required, since they are on different blockchains. Atomic Swap would allow you to send your bitcoins to the person who gives you Ethereum in exchange in a single blockchain transaction reflected on both blockchains.
Synthetix (SNX)
Synthetix (SNX) is a striking decentralized platform focused on creating synthetic assets that allow you to interact with different assets as if they were a native representation of those assets, but in a completely decentralized market.
Taker
A taker is any person who has a stake in a market and agrees to a trade and its terms, taking and settling the trade, removing it from the order book.
Taproot
Taproot is a technology that aims to improve Bitcoin’s privacy and ability to create complex smart contracts. This is intended to enhance its performance and help its growing ecosystem evolve.
Game theory
Game theory is a branch of mathematics that plays a significant role in behavioral and decision-making, and it plays a significant role in blockchain technology.
Testnet
It’s a secondary Bitcoin network for testing cryptocurrencies that have no real value. Very useful for developers or people who want to test the Bitcoin network without fear of losing their coins.
Timelock
Timelocks are one of Bitcoin’s most practical features, allowing you to program actions based on a set of parameters, thus making Bitcoin something better than money—a completely programmable digital currency.
Timestamp
A timestamp is a time stamp calculated according to different parameters and contributes to the verification of information on the network.
Timothy May
Timothy May was born on December 21, 1951, in Bethesda, USA. He was a prolific and well-known computer scientist, ideological writer, electronics engineer, and senior scientist at Intel in the company’s early days. He was also known as Tim May and for being the most agitating leader of the Cypherpunks group.
To the moon
Literally meaning «to the moon.» This expression was originally used to say that Bitcoin’s value was going to increase significantly. It’s now widely used across all cryptocurrencies.
Token
In the world of cryptocurrencies, a token is the digital representation of the value of an asset (physical or otherwise). There are several standards for creating them, and the Ethereum network currently hosts more than 80% of existing tokens.
Token Allowance
Token Allowance is an interesting feature of Ethereum’s ERC-20 and ERC-777 tokens, which allows us to grant specific permissions for access and use of funds to DApps and DEXs so they can carry out operations autonomously and securely.
Tokenization
It is a process of transforming and representing an asset or object within a blockchain. This process occurs through a digital representation of all its properties so that it can be exchanged or stored.
Tokenomics
It refers to the creation of an economic ecosystem sustained by tokens. This ecosystem is sustained by the various interactions possible with these tokens and their representation in the form of real assets.
Byzantine fault tolerance
It is a specification that indicates that a system is capable of withstanding critical and trust failures in information that is managed in a distributed manner.
Toro
From the English word Bull. An investor with an optimistic sentiment about the market price who expects it to rise. Bulls establish a dual and contrasting relationship with bears.
Trading
Real-time currency exchange for profit.
Confidential transactions
Confidential Transactions (CT) is a Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) cryptographic protocol designed to make cryptocurrency transactions on a blockchain private and anonymous.
Transaction block
A group of network transactions that are grouped into a block, which is hash-hashed and added to the blockchain.
UAHF (User Activated Hard Fork)
UAHF refers to a set of rules created by developers that are mandatory and that change the node software. It allows previously invalid blocks to become valid again after one day, without requiring a hash majority for it to be applied.
UASF (User Activated Soft Fork)
USAF is a mechanism in which a soft fork is executed on a specified date enforced by the nodes, also known as an «economic majority.» It requires significant support and coordination across the industry. It was proposed for the activation of SegWit in the BIP148 proposal.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
A GPU is a chip dedicated to processing graphics or floating-point operations, allowing the processors to be less burdened when running video games, interactive 3D applications, or mathematical calculations. They can be found in specialized expansion cards, also called graphics cards, or integrated into the processor casing itself.
Units of account
The units of account refer to each bitcoin’s ability to be divided into up to 8 decimal places, allowing for unprecedented economic flexibility.
Uniswap (UNI)
Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol that has taken on a huge role in the crypto world due to its unique operating system. This has led to its steady growth and made it the largest DEX in the crypto world.
USDC (USD Coin)
USDC (USD Coin) is a stablecoin created by Centre and Coinbase to compete with USDT, integrate into both companies’ payment systems, and additionally, present a much more transparent operating structure than its counterparts.
USDT (Tether)
Stablecoins, or stablecoins, are here to change the way we move and protect our money from the volatility of other cryptocurrencies. That’s precisely one of the functions of USDT, the cryptocurrency that’s always worth one dollar, which we invite you to learn about.
Utility Token
They represent the right to use a product or service that will serve a specific purpose within a project’s ecosystem. They are not intended as an investment, but rather offer users access to a future product or service. To differentiate them from ICOs, they are often referred to as token generation events (TGE) or token distribution events (TDE).
UTreeXO
UTreeXO is an improvement proposal designed by Tadje Dryja, which seeks to improve the handling of UTXOs on the Bitcoin blockchain by compressing them into a simple hash that can be reproduced by all network players.
UTXO
UTXO, or Unspent Transaction Output, is one of the core concepts that enables the proper functioning of the blockchain technology that Satoshi Nakamoto developed for Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.
Vanity Address
It’s an address that begins with a set of characters chosen by the user who creates it. It’s actually a «custom» address within Bitcoin, and is obtained through a brute-force procedure.
Vanitygen
Bitcoin Vanity Address Generator Using Command Line.
Vigor (VIG)
VIGOR (VIG) is a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that has built a stablecoin, lending, and staking platform focused on bringing the DeFi world to the EOS cryptocurrency.
Wallet
Software that allows you to store and transact cryptocurrency without permission or intervention. There are different types (web, desktop, or mobile), and there are even physical wallets known as cold wallets.
Wallet Hardware
These fall into the Cold Wallet category and are typically USB drives that connect to your computer and allow you to securely store your cryptocurrency and private keys. They usually offer the option to add a PIN to unlock the drive.
Wallet HD (Deterministic Jerarchic Wallet)
They are a type of cryptocurrency wallet that allows you to use a series of codes or mnemonics that help you recover your private key and, therefore, the funds you hold.
Wallet Paper
The process by which the private key for a Bitcoin address (or any other cryptocurrency) is stored on a piece of paper. This way, you can send funds to the associated address without the risk of the private key being in a program connected to the internet. This process is also known as a Cold Wallet or Cold Storage. When you want to regain control of your funds, you must enter the key into a client (for the corresponding cryptocurrency) connected to the internet.
Wei Dai
Wei Dai is a renowned cryptographer and member of the cypherpunk community, well known for his contributions to the field. In the cryptocurrency world, he will be remembered for placing a key precursor to Bitcoin just before Satoshi Nakamoto’s creation and for the «crypto++» cryptographic library.
wETH (Wrapped Ethereum)
wETH is a special type of ERC-20 token intended to facilitate various exchange transactions between the various decentralized platforms that are part of the vast Ethereum ecosystem.
Whitepaper
Technical document that describes the main characteristics or properties of a project based on blockchain technology and its corresponding cryptocurrency.
Vladimir Van Der Laan
Wladimir Van Der Laan is one of the greatest Bitcoin developers, but also one of the least known in his private life. This is in addition to a modest public life, where his best-known contributions include the development of a graphics driver and being the current Bitcoin Lead Developer.
Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC)
Wrapped Bitcoin, or wBTC, is an ERC-20 token backed 1:1 by Bitcoin and intended to facilitate the migration of value from Bitcoin to Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem.
X11 (Mining Algorithm)
The X11 mining algorithm is an algorithm designed based on using a sequence of different hash functions, with a single purpose: to offer the best possible security for cryptocurrency mining.
Yield Farming
Yield farming is a strategy whereby investors seek to establish the best investment method to maximize their profits by leveraging their positions while using one or more DeFi platforms in their operations.
Yearn Finance (YFI)
One of the most important DeFi protocols is Yearn Finance (YFI), a project that seeks to facilitate access to yield farming and liquidity mining strategies in the increasingly extensive and economically important community of decentralized finance (DeFi) projects.
Zcash
Zcash (ZEC) is a cryptocurrency focused on maintaining maximum security, privacy, and even anonymity for its users in all situations, using top-level cryptographic technology.
zk-SNARKs
zk-SNARKs are a type of cryptographic proof designed to ensure the highest possible privacy. To achieve this, zk-SNARKs are built using zero-knowledge protocols or proofs, an interesting technique that allows us to validate and verify information without having to provide access to it.
zk-STARK
zk-STARK is a type of highly secure cryptographic proof that uses the principles of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to create encrypted data that can be easily verified without revealing sensitive information about that data, and best of all, with resistance to quantum computing, ensuring its security in the not-so-distant future.
Zero Knowledge Protocol (ZKP)
It is a cryptographic protocol used to create highly secure distributed systems. The ZKP allows information to be shared and verified without revealing unnecessary data about it.
zkLedger
zkLedger is a technology that seeks to demonstrate that the compromise between speed, security, privacy, and decentralization is possible, using cryptography and other technologies created and associated with the blockchain.
Zooko Wilcox
Zooko Wilcox is one of the greatest minds in the crypto world, creator of the privacy- and anonymity-focused cryptocurrency, Zcash. He has always been a cypherpunk, known for his work on decentralized platforms.
ZRX (Token 0x)
The ZRX (0x) token is part of the 0x protocol and its function is to create a currency that guarantees interoperability between decentralized applications (DApps) that incorporate exchange functionalities (DEX).
