The Dictionary
Explore 227+ clear, technical, and objective definitions defining the decentralized future.
Recently Defined
Circulating Supply
Circulating supply is the number of coins currently available in the market.
Cliff Vesting
Cliff vesting is a token unlock schedule where the recipient receives zero tokens until a specific date (the "cliff"), after which a large initial tranche unlocks and the remainder vests gradually. It is used in most venture rounds, team allocations, and advisor grants.
Coin
A coin is a cryptocurrency that operates on its own native blockchain and is typically used as the primary asset of that network.
Cold Wallet
A cold wallet is a crypto wallet that stores private keys offline, making it much harder for hackers or malware to access them through the internet.
Compressed NFT
A compressed NFT (cNFT) is a non-fungible token on Solana that uses state compression and Merkle trees to store the bulk of its data off-chain while keeping a verifiable root on-chain, dramatically reducing minting and storage costs.
Concentrated Liquidity
Concentrated liquidity is an AMM design — pioneered by Uniswap v3 — that lets liquidity providers (LPs) deposit capital within a specific price range rather than across the full 0-to-infinity curve. Within that range, capital efficiency can be hundreds of times higher than a traditional constant-product AMM.
Confirmation
A confirmation occurs when a blockchain includes a transaction in a validated block.
Consensus Mechanism
A consensus mechanism is the method a blockchain uses to ensure that all participants agree on the validity of transactions and the current state of the network without relying on a central authority.
Cross Chain Bridge
A cross-chain bridge is a protocol or set of smart contracts that enables the transfer of assets, data, or messages between two or more distinct blockchains that cannot natively communicate.
Cross Margin
Margin mode where all account balance and unrealized profits/losses are shared as collateral across all open positions.
Cross-Margin vs Isolated Margin
Margin mode determines how collateral backs leveraged positions on a derivatives exchange. In cross-margin, all positions share one pool of collateral and can offset each other. In isolated margin, each position has a dedicated collateral allocation that cannot be drawn from by other positions.
DAO
A DAO, or Decentralized Autonomous Organization, is a community-led organization that uses blockchain tools for governance and decision-making.
dApp
A dApp (decentralized application) is a software application that runs on a blockchain network via smart contracts rather than centralized servers, giving users direct, permissionless interaction.
Data Availability Layer
A data availability (DA) layer is a blockchain or network whose primary job is to publish and prove that transaction data is available for anyone to download and verify. Rollups and other modular chains rely on a DA layer to ensure their state can be reconstructed and challenged independently.
Day Trading
Day trading is a trading style where positions are opened and closed within the same day, with no intention of holding overnight.
Decentralised Exchange
A decentralised exchange (DEX) is a peer-to-peer trading platform built on smart contracts that allows users to swap cryptocurrencies directly from their own wallets without a central intermediary holding funds or requiring accounts.
DeFi
Short for “Decentralized Finance,” it refers to financial applications built on blockchain networks that operate without traditional intermediaries.
DePIN
DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) DePIN refers to networks that use token incentives to coordinate real-world physical infrastructure — wireless coverage, GPU compute, data storage, sensor networks, energy, or mapping — owned and operated by distributed individuals rather than a single corporation.
Deposit / Withdrawal
Deposit = adding funds/assets to your exchange account; Withdrawal = sending them out to external wallet or bank.
Deposit Address
A unique wallet address (string of letters/numbers) generated by the CEX for receiving crypto from external wallets.