Crypto Glossary

Account abstraction is a transformative Ethereum upgrade that fundamentally changes how users interact with the blockchain by allowing smart contracts to function as user accounts.

An accredited investor is a regulatory designation for an individual or entity permitted to trade securities that are not registered with financial authorities.

A crypto airdrop is a popular marketing and distribution strategy used by blockchain startups to bootstrap new projects, reward early adopters, and build a vibrant community.

An algorithmic stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, typically pegged to a fiat currency like the US dollar, through software-driven supply and demand mechanisms rather than traditional collateral backing.

Altcoins, a portmanteau of alternative and coin, encompass the vast universe of cryptocurrencies existing outside of Bitcoin.

Anti-money laundering (AML) in the cryptocurrency sector refers to the comprehensive framework of laws, regulations, and technical procedures designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained digital assets as legitimate income.

An automated market maker (AMM) is a fundamental decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol that allows for the seamless, permissionless trading of digital assets.

An anchor investor is a high-profile, reputable institutional investor that commits a significant amount of capital to a fundraising round before it officially opens to the general public.

Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is a fundamental financial metric that measures the real rate of return on an investment or the interest earned on a savings balance over the course of one year.

Arbitrage in the cryptocurrency market is a trading strategy that involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of a digital asset across different markets or exchanges to profit from temporary price discrepancies.

Asset tokenization is a transformative process that represents the bridge between traditional finance and the decentralized digital economy.

An atomic swap is a smart contract-based mechanism that allows two parties to exchange different cryptocurrencies across separate blockchains without the need for a trusted intermediary or centralized exchange.

In the evolving landscape of Web3, attestation has emerged as a fundamental cryptographic pillar for establishing trust, identity, and data integrity.