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Welcome to Crypto We know it can be a little daunting when you're new. This guide is here to gently introduce you to some of the key concepts you need to kick-start your journey into the world of blockchain tech. Without further ado, let's dive down the rabbit hole. Here are some of the terms and phrases that will help beginners better understand the world of crypto investing.  Crypto Terms You Should Know Altcoin An altcoin is any coin that’s not Bitcoin. Altcoins can be anything from the second-most popular coin, Ethereum, to any of the thousands of coins with very minimal market value. Experts say you should largely stick to the bigger, more mainstream cryptocurrencies as an investment. Bitcoin The first and most valuable cryptocurrency, launched on Jan. 3, 2009. While its value has climbed steadily since then, it has seen wild fluctuations. In the past months alone, the price of Bitcoin has fluctuated from a record high of $60,000 to below $30,000. Dumping The process of offloading large quantities of coins onto exchanges all at once which drives down prices because there is more supply than demand for that particular cryptocurrency. DYOR Do Your Own Research; this means that all crypto investors should do their own research on a project before investing in it. Entry and exit points These are the points at which an investor decides to buy or sell a particular coin/token. ERC-20 A technical standard used for smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain which ensures that all tokens and transactions comply with certain rules (such as how many decimal points to use). BTD Buy The Dip; this means buying coins/tokens when the price drops and they're cheap. Bullish  When investors are bullish, they expect a price to go up in the future and would be comfortable buying coins/tokens at these levels because they believe it will increase even more. Bull market A market in which prices are rising, and investors expect even better returns. Fiat currency A legal tender declared by the government; this can be backed up by its economy and has an institution that regulates it (central bank). For example, the Great British Pound (GBP) and United States Dollar (USD) are both fiat currencies Fiat gateways A cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to deposit fiat currencies such as the dollar or euro into their account for trading purposes. Flippening The moment when a cryptocurrency's market capitalisation (or the total value of its tokens in circulation) surpasses that of another crypto. FOMO Fear Of Missing Out; the acronym that was coined to describe a phenomenon when investors buy or sell an asset based on others' actions, causing them to miss out on more profitable opportunities. Hedging The use of two different strategies in order to reduce the risk involved with one strategy. For example, you could hedge by taking a long position and shorting it simultaneously; this would result in your exposure being less than if you just went long or short on that particular asset/trade alone. Bitcoin Cash A peer-to-peer electronic cash system that formed from a fork of the original Bitcoin. Where Bitcoin is widely accepted as too volatile to be useful as a currency, Bitcoin Cash is designed to be better optimized for transactions.    Block Groups of data within a blockchain. On cryptocurrency blockchains, blocks are made up of transaction records as users buy or sell coins. Each block can hold only a certain amount of information. Once it reaches that limit, a new block is formed to continue the chain. Blockchain A digital form of record keeping, and the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies. A blockchain is the result of sequential blocks that build upon one another, creating a permanent and unchangeable ledger of transactions (or other data). Coin A representative store of digital value that lives on a given blockchain or cryptocurrency network. Some blockchains have the same name for both the network and the coin, like Bitcoin. Others can have different names for each, like the Stellar blockchain, which has a native coin called Lumen.  Coinbase A popular centralized cryptocurrency exchange. Coinbase made history recently as the first cryptocurrency exchange to go public on the Nasdaq. Cold Wallet/Cold Storage A secure method of storing your cryptocurrency completely offline. Many cold wallets (also called hardware wallets) are physical devices that look similar to a USB drive. This kind of wallet can help protect your crypto from hacking and theft, though it also comes with its own risks – like losing it, along with your crypto. Cryptocurrency A type of currency that’s digital and decentralized. Cryptocurrency can be used to buy and sell things, or as a long-term store of value. Decentralization The principle of distributing power away from a central point. Blockchains are traditionally decentralized because they require majority approval from all users to operate and make changes, rather than a central authority. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Financial activities conducted without the involvement of an intermediary, like a bank, government, or other financial institution.  Decentralized Applications (DApps) Applications designed by developers and deployed on a blockchain to carry out actions without intermediaries. Decentralized finance activities are often completed using decentralized apps. Ethereum is the main network supporting activities in decentralized finance. Wallet A place to store your cryptocurrency holdings. Many exchanges offer digital wallets. Wallets may be hot (online, software-based) or cold (offline, usually on a device). Token A unit of value on a blockchain that usually has some other value proposition besides just a transfer of value (like a coin).  Digital Gold Experts sometimes compare specific cryptocurrencies to real gold based on the way it can store and increase in value. Bitcoin is commonly referred to as digital gold. Ethereum The second largest cryptocurrency by trade volume, Ethereum is a crypto network and software platform that developers can use to create new applications, and has an associated currency called ether. Exchange A cryptocurrency exchange is a digital marketplace where you can buy and sell cryptocurrency. Fork When a blockchain’s users make changes to its rules. These changes to the protocol of a blockchain often result in two new paths — one that follows the old rules, and a new blockchain that splits off from the previous one. (Example: a fork of Bitcoin resulted in Bitcoin Cash). Gas A fee that developers have to pay to the Ethereum network in order to use the system. Gas is paid in ether, the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum.  Genesis Block The first block of a cryptocurrency ever mined.  HODL Stands for “Hold On for Dear Life” though the term originated from a user typo on a Bitcoin forum in 2013. It refers to a passive investment strategy in which people buy and hold onto cryptocurrency — instead of trading it — in the hopes that it increases in value.  Halving A feature written into Bitcoin’s code in which after a certain number of blocks are mined (typically every four years) the amount of new Bitcoin entering circulation gets halved. The halving can have an impact on Bitcoin’s price. Hash A unique string of numbers and letters that identify blocks and are tied to crypto buyers and sellers. Hot Wallet A software-based cryptocurrency wallet connected to the Internet. While more convenient for quickly accessing your crypto, these wallets are a bit more susceptible to hacking and cybersecurity attacks than offline wallets — just as files you store in the cloud may be more easily hacked than those locked in a safe in your home. Initial Coin Offering (ICO) A way that funds are raised for a new cryptocurrency project. ICOs are similar to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of stocks. Market Capitalization Cryptocurrency market capitalization refers to the total value of all the coins that have been mined. You can calculate a crypto’s market cap by multiplying the current number of coins by the current value of the coins.  Mining The process whereby new cryptocurrency coins are made available and the log of transactions between users is maintained.  Node A computer that connects to a blockchain network. Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) Non-fungible tokens are units of value used to represent the ownership of unique digital items like art or collectibles. NFTs are most often held on the Ethereum blockchain. Peer-to-peer Two users interacting directly without a third party or intermediary.  Public Key Your wallet’s address, which is similar to your bank account number. You can share your public wallet key with people or institutions so they can send you money or take money from your account when you authorize it. Private Key The encrypted code that allows direct access to your cryptocurrency. Like your bank account password, you should never share your private key.  Satoshi Nakomoto The pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. No one knows the true identity of Nakomoto — or if it’s more than one person. Smart Contract An algorithmic program that enacts the terms of a contract automatically based on its code. One of the main value propositions of the Ethereum network is its ability to execute smart contracts.  Stablecoin or Digital Fiat A stablecoin pegs its value to some other non-digital currency or commodity. A digital fiat represents a fiat, or government-backed currency on the blockchain. (Example: Tether, which is pegged to the U.S. dollar)