Crypto A-Z Glossary

A-Z Crypto Classroom

Here’s an A-Z glossary of common cryptocurrency trading terms and sayings:

A

  • Arbitrage – Buying a cryptocurrency on one exchange and selling it on another for a profit.
  • ATH (All-Time High) – The highest price ever reached by a cryptocurrency.
  • ATL (All-Time Low) – The lowest price ever recorded for a cryptocurrency.
  • Altcoin – Any cryptocurrency that isn’t Bitcoin.

B

  • Bagholder – Someone holding a cryptocurrency that has dropped significantly in value, hoping it will recover.
  • Bear Market – A market characterized by declining prices.
  • Bull Market – A market experiencing a sustained price increase.
  • Bitcoin Maximalist – Someone who believes only Bitcoin has value and dismisses all other cryptocurrencies.
  • Buy the Dip – Purchasing a cryptocurrency when the price drops, expecting a future increase.

C

  • Candlestick Chart – A chart used to analyze price movements over time.
  • Cold Wallet – A cryptocurrency wallet that is not connected to the internet, making it more secure.
  • Crypto Whale – An individual or entity holding large amounts of cryptocurrency.

D

  • DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) – Investing a fixed amount in cryptocurrency at regular intervals to reduce risk.
  • DeFi (Decentralized Finance) – Financial services built on blockchain without intermediaries.
  • Derivatives – Financial instruments (like futures and options) based on the value of cryptocurrencies.
  • Doxxing – Revealing someone’s private information, often in a malicious way. So who is Save With Crypto?
  • DYOR (Do Your Own Research) – Encouraging individuals to research before investing.

E

  • ERC-20 – A widely used standard for tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.
  • Exit Scam – When a crypto project disappears with investors’ funds.

F

  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – The urge to buy an asset quickly due to rising prices.
  • FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) – Negative rumors or misinformation meant to create panic.
  • Fork – A change in a blockchain protocol that results in a new version or split of the blockchain.
  • Fundamental Analysis (FA) – Evaluating a cryptocurrency based on its use case, team, and adoption.

G

  • Gas Fees – Transaction fees paid on networks like Ethereum.
  • Going Long – Betting that the price of a cryptocurrency will increase.
  • Going Short – Betting that the price of a cryptocurrency will decrease.

H

  • Halving – A process in Bitcoin that reduces miner rewards by half every four years.
  • HODL – A misspelled version of “hold,” meaning to keep cryptocurrency long-term despite volatility.

I

  • ICO (Initial Coin Offering) – A fundraising method where new cryptocurrencies sell tokens to investors.
  • Immutable – A property of blockchain meaning transactions cannot be altered once recorded.

J

  • JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) – Feeling relief from avoiding a bad investment.

K

  • KYC (Know Your Customer) – Regulations requiring users to verify their identity on exchanges.

L

  • Leverage – Borrowing funds to increase a trading position.
  • Liquidity – The ability to buy or sell an asset without significantly affecting its price.
  • Limit Order – A pre-set price order to buy or sell a cryptocurrency.

M

  • Market Cap (Market Capitalization) – The total value of a cryptocurrency (price × circulating supply).
  • Mining – The process of verifying blockchain transactions and earning rewards.
  • Mooning – When the price of a cryptocurrency rapidly increases.
  • NFA – Not Financial Advice – An acronym often used by, for example, YouTubers as a disclaimer to prevent legal complications.

N

  • NFT (Non-Fungible Token) – Unique digital assets stored on a blockchain.
  • Node – A computer that helps maintain the blockchain network.

O

  • On-Chain Analysis – Analyzing blockchain data to assess trends and transactions.
  • Overbought – A condition where a cryptocurrency is believed to be overvalued.
  • Oversold – A condition where a cryptocurrency is believed to be undervalued.

P

  • Pump and Dump – A scheme where a cryptocurrency’s price is artificially inflated and then rapidly sold off.
  • Private Key – A secret key used to access and manage cryptocurrency funds.
  • Public Key – A cryptographic address used to receive cryptocurrency.

Q

  • QR Code – Used to quickly share wallet addresses for crypto transactions.

R

  • Rug Pull – A scam where developers abandon a project after collecting investors’ funds.
  • Resistance Level – A price level where an asset struggles to rise above.

S

    • Satoshi (SATs) – The smallest unit of Bitcoin (1 BTC = 100 million SATs).
    • Scalping – A trading strategy involving making quick, small profits.
    • Smart Contract – Self-executing contracts with rules written into code.
    • Staking – Locking up crypto in a network to earn rewards.
    • Stochastic Oscillator – A Stochastic oscillator is a tool used in TradingView (and other trading platforms) to help traders figure out if a stock, currency, or other asset is overbought or oversold. It’s like a speedometer for price movements, showing how fast and far the price has moved compared to its recent history.
      Here’s how it works in simple terms:
      • Range: It measures the current price compared to the highest and lowest prices over a specific period (usually 14 days or candles).
      • Scale: It gives you a number between 0 and 100.
        • If it’s above 80, the asset might be overbought (too expensive, could drop soon).
        • If it’s below 20, it might be oversold (too cheap, could rise soon).
      • Two Lines: It has two lines:
        • %K: The main line showing the current reading.
        • %D: A smoother version (like an average) that helps confirm trends.
      Traders use it to spot when the price might reverse. For example, if the Stochastic is super high and starts dropping, it could mean the price is about to fall. It’s not perfect, but it’s a handy clue when combined with other tools!

T

  • TA (Technical Analysis) – Using charts and indicators to predict price movements.
  • Tokenomics – The economic model of a cryptocurrency.
  • Trading Volume – The amount of cryptocurrency traded over a period.

U

  • Uniswap – A decentralized exchange (DEX) for swapping tokens.
  • Utility Token – A token that provides access to a specific service.

V

  • Volatility – The rapid and unpredictable movement of cryptocurrency prices.

W

  • Wallet – A tool used to store, send, and receive cryptocurrency.
  • Wash Trading – Manipulating markets by repeatedly buying and selling the same asset.
  • Weak Hands – Investors who sell assets quickly due to fear.

X

  • XBT – Another symbol for Bitcoin, used on some exchanges.

Y

  • Yield Farming – Earning rewards by providing liquidity to DeFi protocols.

Z

  • Zero-Knowledge Proof – A cryptographic method proving possession of information without revealing it.