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Hired3
Glossary index

Glossary

Clear, plain English definitions for protocol, DeFi, security, and infra terms you will see in Web3 jobs.

252 terms

A

Account
A wallet or contract that owns assets and sends transactions.
Account Abstraction
Smart contract wallets with flexible rules and better UX.
Address
Public identifier used to receive funds or interact.
Address Poisoning
Scam where attackers mimic your address to trick you.
Admin Key
Privileged key with special control over a contract or system.
Airdrop
Free token distribution to users or addresses.
Altcoin
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Controls and monitoring that prevent illicit fund flows.
AMM (Automated Market Maker)
On chain pools that set prices from token balances.
Anon
Anonymous or pseudonymous participant in online communities.
API
Interface that lets programs call a service.
API Key
Secret credential used to authenticate API requests.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
Yearly rate that does not include compounding.
APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
Yearly return that includes compounding.
Arbitrage
Profit from price gaps across markets or pools.
ATH (All-Time High)
Highest price an asset has ever reached.
ATL (All-Time Low)
Lowest price an asset has ever reached.

B

Bagholder
Investor holding depreciated assets after a downturn.
Base Fee
Protocol set minimum gas price per unit under EIP 1559.
Base Layer (Layer 1)
Main chain that provides security, data availability, and settlement.
Bear Market
Prolonged period of declining asset prices and sentiment.
Bearish
Expectation that prices will decline; negative market view.
Beta
Pre-release phase for testing with real users.
Bitcoin
Decentralized digital money secured by proof of work.
Block
Batch of transactions appended to the blockchain.
Block Explorer
Web tool to inspect blocks, transactions, and addresses.
Block Height
Number of blocks since genesis; position in the chain.
Block Reward
Newly created coins and fees paid to the block producer.
Blockchain
Append-only ledger of blocks secured by cryptography.
Bonding Curve
Formulaic pricing mechanism based on token supply.
Borrow
Obtain assets by posting collateral or using credit.
Bridge
System to transfer assets or messages across chains.
Bull Market
Sustained period of rising prices and optimistic sentiment.
Bullish
Expectation that prices will rise; positive market view.
Burn Address
Irrecoverable address used to destroy or renounce tokens.
Burner Wallet
Temporary wallet for low-stakes use; limits risk exposure.

C

CeFi (Centralized Finance)
Centralized financial services built around crypto assets.
CEX (Centralized Exchange)
Custodial trading venue managed by a centralized operator.
Chain
A blockchain network with its own consensus and state.
Chain ID
Numeric identifier that distinguishes EVM networks.
Chainlink
Oracle network that delivers off-chain data on-chain.
Cliff
Initial period before vesting starts.
Cold Storage
Offline storage of keys to minimize attack surface.
Cold Wallet
Wallet kept offline to minimize exposure to attacks.
Collateral
Assets pledged to secure a loan or leveraged position.
Composability
Ability to combine protocols like modular building blocks.
Confirmation
Additional blocks that increase confidence a tx is final.
Consensus
Process by which nodes agree on the chain’s state.
Contract Address
Address where a smart contract is deployed and reachable.
Copy Trading
Automatically mirroring trades executed by another account.
Cosmos SDK
Framework for building appchains.
Cross-Chain
Interacting or transferring across multiple blockchain networks.
Cryptocurrency
Digital assets secured by cryptography and public networks.
Custodial Wallet
Wallet where a third party holds and manages your keys.
Custody
Safekeeping and control of assets on behalf of users.

D

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)
On-chain organization governed by tokenholders or members.
DApp (Decentralized Application)
Application that uses smart contracts and wallets.
DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging)
Investing fixed amounts at regular intervals regardless of price.
Decentralization
Distribution of control and operation among many parties.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
Open financial protocols built on blockchains.
Deposit
Move funds into a protocol, account, or position.
Derivative
Instrument whose value derives from an underlying asset.
DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
Exchange using smart contracts and pools or order books.
DEX Aggregator
Router that splits orders across multiple DEXes for best price.
Diamond Hands
Holding through volatility with strong conviction.
Digital Asset
On-chain representation of value, rights, or access.
Digital Signature
Cryptographic proof that a message was authorized by a key holder.
Dust
Tiny token amount, often uneconomical to move.
Dusting Attack
Sending tiny amounts to deanonymize or trick users.
DYOR (Do Your Own Research)
Verify claims independently before investing or using a product.

E

ENS (Ethereum Name Service)
Human-readable names mapped to addresses and records.
EOA (Externally Owned Account)
Account controlled by a private key; initiates transactions.
Escrow
Funds held by a trusted party until conditions are met.
ETH
Native asset of the Ethereum network used to pay fees.
Ethereum
Programmable blockchain for smart contracts and applications.
EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)
Runtime that executes smart contracts on EVM chains.
Exchange
Venue where assets are traded between participants.
Exit Liquidity
Later buyers enabling insiders to sell at higher prices.
Exit Scam
Project operators disappear with user funds or promises unfulfilled.

F

Faucet
Service that dispenses test tokens for development.
Fiat
Government-issued currency like USD or EUR.
Finality
Point at which a block is effectively irreversible.
Flash Loan
Uncollateralized loan repaid within a single transaction.
Fork
Protocol split creating new rules or chain history.
Foundry
Modern Ethereum development toolkit.
Free Mint
NFT mint with zero mint price; users pay only network fees.
Front-Run
Acting on knowledge of pending orders to gain advantage.
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)
Negative sentiment or rumor that undermines confidence.
Full Node
Node that fully verifies and stores blockchain state.

G

Gas
Unit measuring computational work in EVM transactions.
Gas Fee
Price paid for gas consumed by a transaction.
Gas Limit
Maximum gas a transaction is allowed to consume.
Gas Price
Price per unit of gas a user is willing to pay.
Genesis Block
First block of a blockchain; root of the chain’s history.
Governance
Processes for proposing, deciding, and executing changes.
Governance Token
Token granting voting or proposal rights in governance.
Grant
Funding provided to support work without repayment.
Gwei
Denomination of ETH equal to 1,000,000,000 wei.

H

Halving
Scheduled reduction of block rewards to control issuance.
Hard Cap
Maximum amount that can be raised or minted.
Hardware Wallet
Device that stores keys offline and signs securely.
Hash
Fixed-size digest produced by a cryptographic hash function.
Hash Rate
Aggregate computational power securing a PoW network.
Health Factor
Metric indicating how close a position is to liquidation.
HODL
Long-term holding regardless of short-term volatility.
Hot Wallet
Internet-connected wallet for convenience with higher risk.

I

ICO (Initial Coin Offering)
Fundraising by selling newly issued tokens to investors.
Impermanent Loss
Value loss from price divergence while providing liquidity.
Inflation
Increase in token supply or general price level over time.
Interoperability
Ability for systems to work together across chains and apps.
IPFS
Peer-to-peer, content-addressed storage and distribution network.

J

JSON‑RPC
Standard RPC interface for Ethereum nodes.

K

Key Management
Practices and tools to secure, rotate, and recover keys.
Keystore File
Encrypted JSON file containing a private key.
KYC (Know Your Customer)
Identity verification required by compliance and risk policies.

L

Layer 2 (L2)
Scaling networks built atop Layer 1.
Leverage
Use of borrowed funds to amplify exposure and returns.
Lightning Network
Fast Bitcoin payments using off chain channels.
Limit Order
Order to trade at a specified price or better.
Liquid Staking
Staking with receipt tokens usable in DeFi.
Liquidity
Ease of trading without causing significant price moves.
Liquidity Pool
Smart contract reserves enabling automated swaps and fees.
Liquidity Provider (LP)
Participant supplying assets to a pool in exchange for fees.
Lockup
Period during which tokens cannot be transferred.
LP Token
Token representing a share of a liquidity pool.

M

Mainnet
Primary network where transactions have real economic value.
Margin
Borrowed funds used to increase position size and leverage.
Market Cap
Token price multiplied by circulating supply.
Market Order
Order to execute immediately at the best available price.
Max Supply
Maximum number of tokens that can be issued.
Mempool
Pool of pending transactions awaiting inclusion in a block.
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value)
Miner/Maximal Extractable Value from ordering.
Miner
Participant producing blocks and securing PoW networks.
Mining
Producing blocks via proof of work to secure a network.
Mint
Create new tokens or NFTs and record them on-chain.
Mobile Wallet
Wallet application running on a smartphone.
MPC (Multi‑Party Computation)
Cryptography for shared key operations.
Multichain
Architecture spanning multiple blockchains or rollups.
Multisig
Wallet requiring multiple signatures to authorize actions.

N

Native Token
Primary asset used for fees and incentives on a chain.
Network
Group of connected nodes that share data and enforce blockchain rules.
NFA (Not Financial Advice)
Disclaimer that information is not investment advice.
NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
Unique token representing an individual asset or claim.
Node
Computer running blockchain software to verify, store, or relay data.
Non-Custodial
Service that never controls user funds or private keys.
Nonce
One-time value used to order transactions or make data unique.

O

Off-Chain
Activity performed outside a blockchain's recorded state.
On-Chain
Data or execution recorded and verified directly by a blockchain.
Open Source
Software released under a license that permits inspection and reuse.
Optimistic Rollup
Layer 2 that assumes transaction batches are valid unless challenged.
Oracle
System that supplies external information to smart contracts.
Order
Instruction to buy or sell an asset under stated conditions.
Order Book
Ranked list of open buy and sell orders for a market.
OTC (Over-The-Counter)
Trade negotiated directly rather than matched on a public exchange.

P

P2P (Peer-to-Peer)
Direct communication or exchange between independent participants.
Paper Hands
Slang for selling an asset quickly because of fear or volatility.
Paper Wallet
Physical document containing a cryptocurrency private key or recovery data.
Peg
Target exchange rate that links one asset's value to a reference.
Permissionless
Open participation without prior approval from a central gatekeeper.
Perpetuals
Derivative contracts without expiry that track an underlying market.
Phishing
Deception used to steal secrets or obtain harmful authorization.
Portfolio
Collection of assets and financial positions held by a person or entity.
Pre-Mine
Tokens created or allocated before public network participation begins.
Pre-Sale
Token sale offered before a broader public launch or listing.
Price Impact
Price movement caused by an order relative to available liquidity.
Private Key
Secret cryptographic value used to authorize blockchain activity.
Proof of Reserves
Evidence that a custodian controls specified assets at a point in time.
Proof of Stake (PoS)
Consensus that uses staked assets to select and discipline validators.
Proof of Work (PoW)
Consensus secured through costly computational work performed by miners.
Protocol
Formal rules that define how a network or application behaves.
Public Key
Cryptographic value used to verify signatures created by a private key.
Pump and Dump
Manipulation that inflates an asset's price before coordinated selling.

Q

Quorum
Minimum participation required for a decision or action to be valid.

R

Reserve
Assets held to meet redemptions, liabilities, or unexpected losses.
Roadmap
Prioritized plan showing a project's intended goals and milestones.
Rollup
Layer 2 that batches transactions and settles results on a base chain.
Rug Pull
Scheme in which insiders drain value or abandon a promoted project.
Rust
Memory-safe systems programming language used in blockchain software.

S

Satoshi
Smallest standard unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin and author of its whitepaper.
Scam
Deceptive scheme intended to steal money, assets, or information.
Seed Phrase
Ordered mnemonic words used to derive and restore wallet keys.
SegWit
Bitcoin upgrade separating witness data and changing block capacity accounting.
Self-Custody
Direct control of assets through keys you manage yourself.
Sequencer
Component that orders and batches transactions for a rollup.
Sharding
Dividing data or processing across coordinated subsets of a network.
Sidechain
Independent blockchain connected to another chain through a bridge.
Signer
Person, device, or system that authorizes actions with a private key.
Slashing
Protocol penalty that removes stake for defined validator misconduct.
Slippage
Difference between an expected trade price and the actual execution price.
Slippage Tolerance
Maximum execution-price change accepted before a trade fails.
Smart Contract
Blockchain program that applies predefined rules to state and assets.
Snapshot
Recorded state at a chosen time or block used for voting or distribution.
SNARK
Succinct non-interactive cryptographic argument that proves computation.
Solidity
Statically typed programming language for Ethereum Virtual Machine contracts.
Spam Token
Unwanted token sent to a wallet for advertising, tracking, or fraud.
Stablecoin
Token designed to maintain a target value relative to a reference asset.
Staking
Committing tokens to Proof-of-Stake validation or delegation.
STARK
Transparent scalable cryptographic argument used to prove computation.
Sweep
Buying many NFTs quickly or consolidating wallet funds in one action.
Synthetic Asset
Token or position designed to track another asset, rate, or index.

T

Taker
Trader who executes against liquidity already available in a market.
Taproot
Bitcoin upgrade adding Schnorr signatures and flexible script commitments.
Testnet
Blockchain network used to test software without mainnet assets.
TGE (Token Generation Event)
Event when a project's tokens are created or first distributed.
Ticker
Short symbol used to identify an asset in markets and interfaces.
Token
Blockchain-recorded unit representing value, access, ownership, or rights.
Token Burn
Verifiable removal of token units from spendable supply.
Token Grant
Token allocation awarded under defined service, vesting, or use conditions.
Token Supply
Number of token units issued, circulating, or allowed to exist.
Token Upgrade
Change or migration that replaces or modifies a token's contract rules.
Tokenomics
Rules and incentives governing a token's supply, distribution, and use.
TPS
Transactions per second processed or finalized by a system.
Trading
Buying and selling assets to exchange exposure, hedge, or seek profit.
Transaction
Authenticated instruction submitted to a blockchain network.
Transaction Fee
Payment required to process and include a blockchain transaction.
Transfer
Movement of a blockchain asset or claim between accounts.
Treasury
Assets managed to fund a project's operations and obligations.
TVL (Total Value Locked)
Estimated value of assets deposited in selected blockchain protocols.
Two-Factor Authentication
Login protection requiring two distinct categories of authentication evidence.

U

UI
Visual and interactive controls through which people use a product.
Under-Collateralized
Loan secured by collateral worth less than the amount owed.
Unlock Schedule
Timeline defining when restricted tokens become transferable or usable.
Upgradable Contract
Smart contract whose behavior can be changed after deployment.
Utility Token
Token intended to provide access, functions, or benefits in a product.
UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output)
Spendable output from an earlier blockchain transaction.
UX
Complete experience a person has while using a product or service.

V

Validator
Participant that checks blocks and may perform Proof-of-Stake consensus duties.
Vault
Contract or product that holds assets and applies a defined strategy.
Vesting
Process through which ownership or rights are earned over time or milestones.
Volatility
Degree and speed of price movement over a chosen period.
Volume
Quantity or value of an asset traded during a defined period.
Voting Power
Weight assigned to a participant's choices in governance.

W

Wallet
Software or hardware that manages keys and blockchain authorization.
WalletConnect
Protocol and tooling for connecting wallets with applications.
Watch-Only Wallet
Wallet view that monitors addresses without holding spending keys.
Web3
Applications using blockchains, cryptographic ownership, and open protocols.
WETH
ERC-20-compatible representation of ether used by smart contracts.
Whale
Participant controlling an unusually large amount of an asset or market exposure.
Whitelist
Approved list of accounts allowed to access a system or action.
Whitepaper
Document explaining a project's problem, design, and supporting rationale.
Withdrawal
Process of removing assets from a platform, protocol, or financial position.
Wrapped Token
Token representation of another asset under defined backing and redemption rules.
Write Function
Smart contract method that can change blockchain state.

X

XPUB (Extended Public Key)
Public key data used to derive many addresses in an HD wallet.

Y

Yield
Return generated by lending, staking, trading, or another strategy.
Yield Farming
Deploying crypto assets across protocols to earn fees and incentives.
YOLO
Slang for an unusually concentrated and speculative financial decision.

Z

Zero Address
All-zero blockchain address used to represent a null value.
Zero-Knowledge
Cryptographic property that proves a statement without revealing its secret witness.
ZK Proof
Cryptographic proof that validates a statement while hiding private witness data.
ZK Rollup
Layer 2 that batches transactions and proves state-transition validity.