ASIC-resistant
A cryptocurrency protocol whose mining algorithm is configured in a manner that makes it impossible or brings no benefit to use ASIC machines to mine as compared to traditional GPU mining.
Active Management
An investing strategy used by fund managers that has the goal of outperforming index funds and benchmarks.
Address
A string of text that uniquely identifies the location of a specific wallet on a blockchain.
Airdrop
The issuance of a digital asset to the public, usually with some qualifying reason such as being active on a blockchain network or holding another specific asset.
Algorithm
A process or sequence of rules used in problem-solving operations.
All or None Order (AON)
An order with a stipulation that it must be filled in its entirety or not at all. Designed to prevent the partial filling of orders.
All-Time High (ATH)
The highest price a cryptocurrency has achieved against a quote currency, such as the US Dollar or BTC.
Allocation
A portion of tokens or equity that gets distributed to a certain party or entity for various reasons including purchase, earned equity or partnership arrangement.
Alpha
The first version of a primitive, piece of software or product. Also, valuable insight or information on a project or opportunity.
Altcoin
A term used to describe all cryptocurrencies and tokens that are not Bitcoin.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annual Percentage Rate or APR is the rate of return earned on an investment over a one year period.
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
Annual Percentage Yield or APY is the rate of return earned on an investment with compound interest factored into the calculation.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
A legal and regulatory framework designed to prevent the flow of funds that are obtained from illicit activities.
Application Programming Interface (API)
A software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and execute a set of functions and procedures programmatically.
Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
An integrated circuit designed specifically to maximize its performance for a particular application, rather than for general-purpose use.
Arbitrage
The buying and selling of the same asset across different markets in order to take advantage of a difference in price.
Ask Price
The lowest price the seller of an asset is willing to accept on their sell order.
Asymmetric Cryptography
Also commonly referred to as “public-key cryptography”; allows an actor to utilize two mathematically linked— yet distinct— keys to sign and/or encrypt a datum.
Asymmetric Encryption
The use of asymmetric cryptography to encrypt a datum with a public key such that it can only be decrypted with a mathematically linked (yet distinct) private key, for the purposes of maintaining the datum’s confidentiality. Note: asymmetric encryption is similar to (but distinct from) a cryptographic signing workflow.
Asynchronous
Events or operations within an electronic system that do not happen at the same time or speed, and can operate independently of the main program flow.
Atomic Swap
Smart contract technology that allows for the exchange of one crypto asset for another without the need for a centralized intermediary.
Attack Surface
Areas in a software system where attackers can attempt to enter or extract data from the system.
Auction
A live event where an asset or service is sold through a bidding process.
Automated Money Market (AMM)
An automated market maker (AMM) is the underlying protocol that powers all decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Simply put, they are autonomous trading mechanisms that eliminate the need for centralized exchanges and related market-making techniques.
Bags
The portfolio of crypto assets that an investor is holding.
