Cryptocurrency has developed its own vocabulary spanning blockchain technology, trading, decentralized finance and market analysis. Understanding the terminology does not eliminate investment risk, but it makes it easier to evaluate projects, exchange products and market data without confusing fundamentally different concepts.

1. Blockchain: A distributed database where transactions are grouped and recorded according to network consensus rules.

2. Bitcoin: The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and the native asset of the Bitcoin network.

4. Stablecoin: A crypto asset designed to maintain a relatively stable value, commonly against currencies such as the US dollar.

5. Token: A digital asset created on an existing blockchain rather than necessarily operating its own independent network.

6. Wallet: Software or hardware used to manage blockchain accounts and signing keys.

7. Private Key: Secret cryptographic information allowing a holder to authorize blockchain transactions.

8. Seed Phrase: A sequence of words used to recover many self-custody cryptocurrency wallets.

9. HODL: Holding cryptocurrency for an extended period rather than reacting to short-term volatility.

11. Trading Volume: The value of assets traded during a specified period.

12. Liquidity: How easily an asset can be bought or sold without significantly changing its price.

13. Slippage: The difference between an expected trade price and the actual execution price.

18. Liquidation: Forced closure of a leveraged position when collateral becomes insufficient.

20. Gas Fee: A charge paid for computation or transactions on networks such as Ethereum.

22. DeFi: Decentralized finance applications providing activities such as trading, borrowing and lending through blockchain protocols.

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