Glossary
Crypto Terms: A Complete Glossary for Beginners & Experts
Master crypto terms every investor needs to know. From Bitcoin basics and trading slang to advanced DeFi concepts - all explained in plain language.
- 134 terms
- From A to Z, with examples
- Updated October 15, 2026
- In English, French and Spanish
Key Terms
38 terms found
A 1 term
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ATH
All-Time High, the highest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached
B 5 terms
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Bag Holder
Someone holding cryptocurrency that has lost significant value
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Bear Market
Extended period of declining cryptocurrency prices
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Bollinger Bands
Volatility indicator showing support and resistance levels
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BTFD
The acronym BTFD (Buy The Fing Dip*) is a phrase used to encourage people to buy a cryptocurrency immediately after its price has dropped sharply.
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Bull Run
Period of sustained upward price movement in crypto markets
C 2 terms
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Candlestick Chart
Price chart showing open, high, low, and close values
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Circulating Supply
Amount of cryptocurrency currently available
D 2 terms
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Diamond Hands
Holding crypto despite extreme volatility or losses
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Dominance
Percentage of total crypto market cap held by one coin
F 4 terms
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Fibonacci Retracement
Tool using horizontal lines to indicate support/resistance areas
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Finney
Unit of Ether equal to 0.001 ETH
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FOMO
Fear of Missing Out, buying due to anxiety about missing profits
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FUD
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt spread to influence market sentiment
H 2 terms
L 2 terms
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Liquidity Mining
Earning tokens by providing liquidity to a protocol
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Liquidity Pool
Smart contract containing funds for decentralized trading
M 3 terms
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MACD
Moving Average Convergence Divergence, trend-following momentum indicator
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Market Cap
Total value of a cryptocurrencies circulating supply
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Moving Average
Average price over a specific time period to identify trends
N 1 term
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NGMI
The acronym NGMI (Not Gonna Make It) is a sarcastic or pessimistic term used to describe an investor or project that is expected to fail.
P 2 terms
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Paper Hands
A Paper Hand is a nickname for an investor who panics and sells their cryptocurrency at the first sign of a price drop, resulting in a loss or minimal profit.
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Pump and Dump
Manipulative scheme to inflate price then sell
R 4 terms
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REKT
The slang term REKT means an investor has lost a huge amount of money due to a bad trade, a bad investment, or a security hack.
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Resistance Level
Price point where selling pressure typically prevents further rise
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Roadmap
Timeline of planned developments for a crypto project
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RSI
Relative Strength Index, momentum indicator measuring overbought/oversold conditions
S 4 terms
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Sats
Satoshis, smallest unit of Bitcoin (0.00000001 BTC)
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Shill
To Shill a coin means to aggressively promote a cryptocurrency or NFT to others, usually because the promoter wants the price to rise for their own benefit.
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Slippage
Difference between expected and actual transaction price
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Support Level
Price point where buying pressure typically prevents further decline
T 2 terms
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Total Supply
Maximum amount of cryptocurrency that will exist
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Trading Volume
Amount of cryptocurrency traded in a period
V 1 term
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Volume Indicator
Measure of how much cryptocurrency is being traded
W 3 terms
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Whale
Individual or entity holding large amounts of cryptocurrency
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Whitepaper
Technical document describing a crypto project
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Wyckoff Method
Trading methodology analyzing supply and demand
Related Resources
Questions
Crypto Terms FAQs
What are the most important crypto terms to know?
The most important crypto terms for beginners include: Blockchain (the underlying technology), Bitcoin (first cryptocurrency), Wallet (stores your crypto), Private Key (your secret access code), HODL (holding long-term), DeFi (decentralized finance), NFT (digital collectibles), Staking (earning rewards), Gas Fee (transaction cost), and Altcoin (any crypto besides Bitcoin). Understanding these foundational crypto terms is essential for navigating the cryptocurrency space.
What does HODL mean and other crypto slang terms?
HODL means "Hold On for Dear Life" - a popular crypto term for holding assets long-term despite price drops. Other essential crypto slang terms include: WAGMI (We Are Gonna Make It), NGMI (Not Gonna Make It), Diamond Hands (holding through volatility), Paper Hands (selling during dips), Degen (high-risk trader), Ape (buying without research), Rekt (suffering heavy losses), and When Lambo (asking when profits will come).
What are basic cryptocurrency terms for beginners?
Basic crypto terms every beginner should learn: Cryptocurrency (digital money), Blockchain (distributed ledger), Bitcoin (first crypto), Ethereum (programmable blockchain), Wallet (crypto storage), Exchange (trading platform), Market Cap (total value), Bull/Bear Market (rising/falling prices), FOMO (fear of missing out), and FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). Our glossary explains all these crypto terms in simple language.
How do I learn crypto trading terms?
Start with essential crypto trading terms: Long (betting price goes up), Short (betting price goes down), Leverage (borrowed funds for trading), Liquidation (forced position close), Stop-Loss (automatic sell order), Take-Profit (automatic profit order), ATH (all-time high), ATL (all-time low), Volume (trading activity), and Whale (large holder). Our crypto terms glossary covers all trading vocabulary with clear definitions.
What crypto terms are used in DeFi?
Key DeFi crypto terms include: DEX (decentralized exchange), AMM (automated market maker), Liquidity Pool (trading reserves), Yield Farming (earning rewards), APY/APR (annual returns), TVL (total value locked), Impermanent Loss (liquidity provider risk), Flash Loan (instant uncollateralized loan), DAO (decentralized organization), and Smart Contract (self-executing code). Understanding these crypto terms is crucial for DeFi participation.
Are these crypto terms definitions up to date?
Yes! Our crypto terms glossary is updated December 2025 with the latest cryptocurrency terminology including Web3 terms, memecoin vocabulary, restaking concepts, liquid staking, RWA (Real World Assets), L2 scaling solutions, and emerging crypto slang. We continuously add new crypto terms to keep this glossary current and comprehensive.