Crypto & Finance Glossary
Your guide to understanding cryptocurrency and finance terminology. From Bitcoin basics to advanced DeFi concepts.
Showing 251–300 of 605 terms
Page 6 of 13
H
Hot Wallet
cryptocurrencyA cryptocurrency wallet connected to the internet.
Howey Test
traditional-financeThe legal test the SEC uses to determine if something is a security.
Hyperchain
blockchainA term used by zkSync for application-specific ZK-rollup chains that share a common settlement layer.
Hyperledger
blockchainAn open-source enterprise blockchain framework hosted by the Linux Foundation.
I
Ichimoku Cloud
tradingA comprehensive technical indicator that shows support, resistance, trend direction, momentum, and trade signals all at once.
ICO (Initial Coin Offering)
cryptocurrencyA fundraising method where new crypto projects sell tokens to early investors.
IDO (Initial DEX Offering)
defiToken launches that happen directly on decentralized exchanges rather than centralized platforms.
Immutable
blockchainData that can't be changed once written.
Impermanent Loss
defiThe difference between holding tokens in a liquidity pool versus just holding them in your wallet.
Implied Volatility (IV)
tradingThe market's expectation of how much an asset's price will move, derived from options pricing.
Index Fund
traditional-financeA fund that tracks a market index like the S&P 500 by holding all its components.
Index Price
tradingAn average price derived from multiple exchanges, used as a reference for derivatives trading.
Infinite Approval
defiWhen you approve a smart contract to spend unlimited amounts of a token from your wallet.
Inflation
macroThe rate at which prices rise and money loses purchasing power.
Injective
blockchainA Cosmos-based Layer 1 blockchain built specifically for finance applications.
Inscriptions
cryptocurrencyData permanently embedded directly onto Bitcoin's blockchain, popularized by the Ordinals protocol in 2023.
Intent-Based Trading
defiA new approach where users specify what outcome they want (like 'swap 1 ETH for the most USDC possible') and solvers compete to fill that intent.
Intents
blockchainA new paradigm where users specify what they want to achieve (the intent) rather than how to achieve it (specific transactions).
Interest Rates
macroThe cost of borrowing money, set by central banks and market forces.
Interoperability
blockchainThe ability of different blockchains to communicate and work together.
IPFS (InterPlanetary File System)
blockchainA decentralized file storage protocol that addresses content by what it is rather than where it is.
IPO (Initial Public Offering)
traditional-financeWhen a private company first sells shares to the public on a stock exchange.
Isolated Margin
tradingA margin mode where you assign a specific amount of collateral to each position separately.
J
Jito
defiA liquid staking protocol on Solana that gives you JitoSOL when you stake your SOL, plus it captures MEV rewards for extra yield.
Jupiter
defiThe dominant DEX aggregator on Solana.
Just-in-Time Liquidity
defiA MEV strategy where someone adds concentrated liquidity to a pool right before a large trade and removes it immediately after, capturing most of the trading fees.
K
Kava
blockchainA Layer 1 blockchain that combines the speed of Cosmos with EVM compatibility, letting developers build with either Cosmos SDK or Solidity.
Keeper
defiA bot or user that performs necessary maintenance tasks on DeFi protocols in exchange for a reward.
Kelly Criterion
tradingA formula that calculates the optimal bet size based on your edge and the odds.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
cryptocurrencyIdentity verification required by regulated financial services.
L
Launchpad
cryptocurrencyA platform that helps new crypto projects launch their tokens and raise funds from early investors.
Layer 0
blockchainThe underlying infrastructure that connects and enables communication between different Layer 1 blockchains.
Layer 1
blockchainThe base blockchain that processes and finalizes transactions.
Layer 2
blockchainA secondary network built on top of a Layer 1 to improve scalability.
Layer 3
blockchainApplication-specific chains built on top of Layer 2 networks, adding another level of scalability for particular use cases like gaming or social apps.
LayerZero
blockchainAn omnichain interoperability protocol that lets smart contracts communicate across blockchains.
Ledger
blockchainA record of transactions.
Lending Protocol
defiA DeFi application that lets you lend your crypto to earn interest or borrow against your holdings.
Leverage
tradingBorrowing funds to increase your trading position beyond what your capital alone would allow.
LFG
cryptocurrencyLet's F***ing Go.
Lido
defiThe largest liquid staking protocol, mainly used for Ethereum staking.
Lightning Network
blockchainA Layer 2 payment network built on Bitcoin that enables near-instant, low-cost transactions through payment channels.
Limit Order
tradingAn order to buy or sell at a specific price or better.
Linea
blockchainAn Ethereum Layer 2 built by Consensys (the company behind MetaMask) using zero-knowledge proof technology.
Liquid Restaking
defiTaking liquid staking one step further by restaking your liquid staking tokens on protocols like EigenLayer and getting yet another receipt token.
Liquid Staking
defiStaking your crypto while still being able to use it in DeFi through a receipt token.
Liquid Staking Derivative
defiA token received when staking through a liquid staking protocol, representing your staked position.
Liquidation
tradingWhen a borrower's collateral is forcibly sold because their position became too risky.
Liquidity
tradingHow easily an asset can be bought or sold without significantly affecting its price.
Liquidity Bootstrapping Pool (LBP)
defiA Dutch auction-style token launch mechanism where the price starts high and gradually decreases.
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