Cryptocurrency — A digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography, operating on a decentralized network (no central bank/government control). Bitcoin was the first.
Blockchain — The underlying decentralized digital ledger that records all transactions across a network of computers in a secure, transparent, immutable way.
Market Cap (Market Capitalization) — Total value of a cryptocurrency = Current price × Circulating supply. Used to rank coins and gauge size/dominance.
Bitcoin (BTC) — The original and largest crypto by market cap (~$1.3–1.8T range in early 2026 snapshots), often called "digital gold."
Altcoin — Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin (e.g., Ethereum, Solana, XRP).
Ethereum (ETH) — Second-largest by market cap; powers smart contracts, DeFi, NFTs, and most dApps.
Stablecoin — Crypto designed to hold stable value (pegged to fiat like USD), e.g., USDT (Tether), USDC. Huge for trading and liquidity.
All-Time High (ATH) — The highest price/market cap a coin has ever reached historically.
Bull Market / Bear Market — Bull = rising prices + positive sentiment; Bear = falling prices + negative sentiment.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance) — Financial services (lending, borrowing, trading) built on blockchain without intermediaries.
NFT (Non-Fungible Token) — Unique digital assets on blockchain (art, collectibles, gaming items).
Wallet — Digital tool/app to store, send, and receive crypto (hot = online; cold = offline/hardware for security).
Mining — Process of validating transactions and adding blocks to blockchain (Proof-of-Work), earning new coins as reward (mainly for Bitcoin).
HODL — Slang for "Hold On for Dear Life" — long-term holding despite volatility (originated from a typo).
FOMO / FUD — Fear Of Missing Out (drives buying); Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (drives selling/panic).