Welcome to the SuperEx Educational Series!

If you’ve just stepped into the world of blockchain, crypto, and DeFi, it’s easy to feel like you’ve landed in a foreign country where everyone speaks in acronyms and buzzwords. Terms like “staking,” “Layer2,” or “yield farming” might sound exciting but also confusing at first. That’s completely normal — every new industry comes with its own language.

This glossary of 100 essential terms is designed to be your pocket translator for the world of Web3. Think of it as a map: whether you’re a beginner taking your first steps, or someone who’s been around crypto but wants to refresh your knowledge, this guide will help you navigate conversations, understand news headlines, and even explore opportunities in DeFi with more confidence.

At SuperEx, we believe that education is the foundation of participation. The more you understand the terms, the easier it becomes to spot risks, evaluate projects, and recognize real innovation beyond the hype. So, let’s dive in together and make sense of the language that powers the future of finance.

A – C

1. Address
A unique string of characters that represents your account on a blockchain. Similar to a bank account number, it’s where you send or receive crypto. For example, Ethereum addresses start with . Unlike banks, blockchain addresses are public and transparent, meaning anyone can view the balance or transaction history.

2. Airdrop
A method of distributing free tokens to users, usually as part of a project launch, marketing campaign, or community reward. Airdrops can help bootstrap network activity and reward early adopters. For example, SuperEx famously airdropped ET tokens to its first users.

3. AMM (Automated Market Maker)
A decentralized exchange mechanism that uses liquidity pools and algorithms to set prices, instead of order books and market makers. AMMs like Uniswap or SuperEx allow anyone to provide liquidity and earn fees, making markets more open and democratic.

4. APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
The projected yearly return on an investment, including the effect of compound interest. In DeFi, APYs can fluctuate based on supply and demand. High APYs may signal either great opportunities or high risk, so always evaluate the sustainability behind the numbers.

5. Arbitrage
A trading strategy that exploits price differences of the same asset across different platforms or markets. In crypto, arbitrage can occur between centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges, or even across blockchains via bridges.

6. Blockchain
A decentralized digital ledger that records transactions in blocks, secured through cryptography. Each block links to the previous one, creating a secure and immutable chain. Blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the backbone of cryptocurrencies and DeFi.

7. Bridge (Cross-Chain Bridge)
A protocol that enables the transfer of tokens or data between different blockchains. For instance, a bridge may allow you to move USDC from Ethereum to Binance Smart Chain. Bridges expand interoperability but can be risky due to smart contract vulnerabilities.

8. Bull Market
A market phase characterized by rising prices and optimism. In crypto, bull markets often see rapid inflows of capital, new projects launching, and media hype, but they can also fuel speculative bubbles.

9. Bear Market
The opposite of a bull market — a prolonged period of declining prices and pessimism. Bear markets test investors’ patience and resilience but can also provide opportunities to buy assets at lower valuations.

10. Collateral
Assets locked in a smart contract to back a loan or position. For example, on Aave you may deposit ETH as collateral to borrow stablecoins. If the value of your collateral drops too much, it can be liquidated.

11. Compound Interest
Earning interest not only on the initial deposit but also on accumulated interest over time. In DeFi, yield protocols often compound automatically, boosting returns compared to simple interest.

12. Consensus Mechanism
The process by which blockchain nodes agree on the state of the ledger. Examples include Proof of Work (used by Bitcoin) and Proof of Stake (used by Ethereum after the Merge). Consensus ensures the system runs securely without central authorities.

13. Custodial Wallet
A wallet managed by a third party (like an exchange), where the service provider controls the private keys. It’s easier to use but means you don’t have full control over your assets.

14. Non-Custodial Wallet
A wallet where you hold the private keys yourself, giving you full control and responsibility for your funds. Examples include MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and hardware wallets like Ledger.

15. Centralized Exchange (CEX)
A trading platform run by a company that acts as an intermediary, such as Binance, Coinbase. They offer user-friendly services but require trust in the operator to safeguard assets.

16. Decentralized Exchange (DEX)
A peer-to-peer trading platform without intermediaries. Users trade directly through smart contracts. Examples: Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and Curve.

17. DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)
An organization governed by rules encoded in smart contracts and managed by token holders, not centralized leadership. DAOs can control treasuries, vote on upgrades, or fund projects.

18. DApp (Decentralized Application)
Applications built on blockchain that use smart contracts. Unlike traditional apps, DApps operate without central servers. Examples include DeFi lending apps, NFT marketplaces, or games like Axie Infinity.

19. DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
An ecosystem of financial applications built on blockchain, offering services like trading, lending, borrowing, and insurance — without traditional intermediaries like banks.

20. Derivatives
Financial contracts that derive value from underlying assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum. In crypto, derivatives include perpetual futures and options, enabling traders to hedge risk or speculate on price movements.

D – F

21. DEX Aggregator
A tool that scans multiple decentralized exchanges to find the best prices for trades. By splitting a trade across several DEXs, aggregators like 1inch or Matcha reduce slippage and improve efficiency for users.

22. DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology)
The underlying technology of blockchains. A DLT is a database shared across multiple participants, where records are synchronized and immutable, ensuring transparency and security without central control.

23. Double Spending
The risk of spending the same digital asset more than once. Blockchain consensus mechanisms solve this by validating transactions across nodes before they are finalized.

24. Dusting Attack
A malicious tactic where small amounts of tokens are sent to many wallets to trace and deanonymize users. It highlights the importance of wallet hygiene and privacy awareness.

25. ERC-20
The most widely used Ethereum token standard, defining rules for fungible tokens (like USDC or UNI). ERC-20 enabled the explosion of ICOs and DeFi projects by providing interoperability.

26. ERC-721
The Ethereum standard for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Each ERC-721 token is unique, making it suitable for collectibles, art, and in-game assets.

27. ERC-1155
A multi-token standard that supports both fungible and non-fungible tokens in one contract. It is efficient for gaming and metaverse projects.

28. Fiat Currency
Government-issued money such as USD, EUR, or JPY. Stablecoins often peg their value to fiat currencies to provide stability in crypto markets.

29. Flash Loan
An uncollateralized loan in DeFi that must be repaid within the same transaction. Flash loans allow arbitrage, refinancing, and complex strategies but can also be exploited in attacks.

30. Fork
A change in blockchain rules that results in a new version. Hard forks (like Ethereum and Ethereum Classic) create permanent splits, while soft forks are backward-compatible upgrades.

31. Front-Running
A type of attack where bots or insiders exploit transaction visibility in the mempool to jump ahead of pending trades, often paying higher gas fees to get priority.

32. Fungible Token
A token where each unit is identical and interchangeable, such as ETH or USDC. Opposite of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

33. Fiat On-Ramp
A service that allows users to buy crypto with traditional money, such as using a credit card on exchanges like Coinbase or SuperEx.

34. Fiat Off-Ramp
The reverse process: converting crypto back into fiat currency. Reliable off-ramps are crucial for real-world spending.

35. Full Node
A computer that fully validates blockchain transactions and blocks. Running a full node helps decentralize the network and enhances security.

36. Finality
The point at which a blockchain transaction cannot be reversed. Different blockchains achieve finality through various mechanisms, such as confirmations in Bitcoin or checkpoints in Ethereum.

37. Flashbots
A system for submitting private transactions directly to miners/validators, reducing front-running risks and optimizing block inclusion.

38. Faucet
A service that gives away small amounts of crypto for free, often for testing or onboarding new users. Ethereum testnets commonly use faucets.

39. Fear and Greed Index
A sentiment indicator that measures investor emotions in crypto markets. High greed suggests potential bubbles, while extreme fear can signal buying opportunities.

40. Fiat-Backed Stablecoin
A type of stablecoin backed 1:1 by fiat reserves held by a central entity. Examples: USDC, USDT.

G – I

41. Gas Fee
The fee paid to validators for processing transactions on blockchains like Ethereum. Gas fees fluctuate based on network demand.

42. Governance Token
Tokens that grant holders voting rights in protocol decisions. Examples: UNI (Uniswap), ET (SuperEx). They align user incentives with protocol growth.

43. Genesis Block
The very first block of a blockchain. For Bitcoin, the Genesis Block was mined by Satoshi Nakamoto in January 2009.

44. GameFi
A fusion of gaming and DeFi, where players earn tokens or NFTs through play-to-earn mechanics. Axie Infinity and StepN are notable examples.

45. Gas Limit
The maximum amount of computational effort a user is willing to spend on a transaction. Setting it too low can cause failed transactions.

46. Gwei
A denomination of Ether used to measure gas fees. 1 ETH = 1 billion Gwei.

47. Hash Rate
The total computational power securing a Proof of Work blockchain. Higher hash rates make attacks more difficult.

48. HODL
A slang term meaning “hold” crypto long-term regardless of price fluctuations. Originated from a forum typo and now part of crypto culture.

49. Halving
An event in Bitcoin where mining rewards are cut in half every 210,000 blocks (~4 years). Halvings reduce inflation and historically correlate with bull runs.