Index designed to measure the blockchain industry's overall growth (based on the current 30 top cryptos) and its daily and long-term movements.
Atomic Swaps
Method of exchanging cryptocurrencies from two different blockchains without an intermediary. As it’s based on the blockchain, atomic swaps allow for secure transactions and operate on smart contracts.
ASIC
Application-Specific Integrated Circuit is an integrated circuit designed for a specific action or function in a particular application/system. ASICs are frequently used in mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
Accidental Fork
Occurs when two or more miners find a block at almost the same time. The nodes in the network receive different versions of the blockchain, and each one tries to be considered correct. As development proceeds, the longer one is deemed valid, and the shorter branch is discarded.
Algorithmic Trading
Trading strategy in which investment decisions are made by specially designed mathematical and statistical algorithms rather than the trader.
Bull Market
A situation in which assets prices rise, investors are optimistic, increasing the demand. A bull market is often the result of positive economic indicators.
Real Yield
Real yield is essentially the return on investment an investor can expect from a DeFi protocol. This yield considers all investment costs and risks (such as transaction fees, market volatility, and liquidity).
Initial Exchange Offering (IEO)
IEO is an alternative way of issuing tokens to an Initial Coin Offering (ICO). With an IEO, the cryptocurrency exchange is responsible for offering and selling tokens, thus ensuring safety and confidence.
Stock-to-Flow (S2F)
S2F model is an analytical tool used in cryptocurrencies, based on the ratio of the total supply (stock) to the annual incremental supply (flow) of an asset. It’s essentially a method of determining an asset's scarcity.
Bounty
A reward or bonus is offered to encourage the community to perform a specific task, often for marketing purposes. They are usually paid out in the form of cryptocurrency.
Proof of Activity (PoA)
Combines the Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) mechanisms, thus ensuring the authenticity of transactions occurring on the blockchain, the achievement of consensus by all miners, and providing more significant protection against attacks compared to PoW and PoS.
Difficulty Adjustment Algorithm (DAA)
DAA is responsible for adjusting the difficulty of mining a cryptocurrency. This is an essential element of the protocol, as the difficulty of mining directly impacts the speed at which new blocks are mined, and subsequently, network stability and efficiency.
