Altcoin: Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin. Examples include Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.
ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit): A type of hardware optimized for mining certain cryptocurrencies. It’s faster and more efficient than general-purpose mining hardware.
ATH (All-Time High): The highest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency.
Bear Market: A market characterized by declining prices.
Blockchain: A distributed digital ledger that records all transactions made with a cryptocurrency. It's decentralized, meaning it's maintained by multiple users rather than a central authority.
Bull Market: A market characterized by rising prices.
Cold Storage: A method of storing cryptocurrencies offline for security reasons. Examples include paper wallets or hardware wallets.
Consensus: Agreement among nodes (computers) in a network about the state of transactions and balances.
dApp (Decentralized Application): An application that runs on a decentralized network (usually a blockchain), not controlled by any single entity.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Financial platforms and protocols that operate without traditional intermediaries, using blockchain technology instead.
Faucet: A website or platform that gives away free cryptocurrency to users.
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): The fear of missing a potential profit opportunity in the crypto market.
Fork: A split in the blockchain resulting in two paths: one follows the old protocol, and the other follows the new. Can be "hard" or "soft."
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt): Disinformation spread to cause fear and uncertainty.
Gas: A fee paid to process transactions and execute smart contracts on the Ethereum network.
HODL: A misspelled term meaning "hold" that's come to mean "keep and don’t sell" in the crypto community.
ICO (Initial Coin Offering): A type of crowdfunding where new cryptocurrencies sell their tokens to interested investors.
Lightning Network: A "layer 2" payment protocol that operates on top of a blockchain to enable faster transactions.
Mining: The process of using computer power to solve complex algorithms, validate transactions, and secure a cryptocurrency network. Miners are rewarded with new cryptocurrency coins.
Node: A computer connected to the blockchain network that validates and relays transactions.
Private Key: A cryptographic key unique to every coin in a user's possession. It's secret and allows the user to spend the cryptocurrency.
Public Address (or Public Key): An address where others can send you cryptocurrency. It's derived from the private key but can't be used to deduce it.
Pump and Dump: A manipulation scheme where the price of a cryptocurrency is artificially inflated (pumped) to attract unsuspecting buyers, and then sold off (dumped) for profit.
Satoshi: The smallest unit of Bitcoin, worth 0.00000001 BTC.
Smart Contract: A self-executing contract where the terms are written into code. Often used on platforms like Ethereum.
Token: Digital assets issued on a blockchain. While all cryptocurrencies are tokens, not all tokens are cryptocurrencies. Some represent assets like real estate or stock.
Wallet: A software or hardware tool that stores private and public keys, allowing users to send and receive cryptocurrency.
Whale: An individual or entity that holds a large amount of a cryptocurrency.
