The Dictionary
Explore 242+ clear, technical, and objective definitions defining the decentralized future.
Recently Defined
Fill-or-Kill (FOK) Order
An order that must be filled completely and immediately, or it is entirely canceled (no partial fills).
Flash Loan
A flash loan is an uncollateralized loan that must be borrowed and repaid within a single blockchain transaction. If the loan is not repaid by the end of the transaction, the entire transaction reverts as if nothing happened — making default impossible.
FOMO
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The anxiety-driven urge to buy an asset because you fear missing rapid gains others are making.
Fork
A fork is a change or split in a blockchain’s protocol, rules, or software that alters how the network operates.
FUD
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) Deliberate or organic spread of negative news/rumors to create panic and drive prices down.
Funding Rate
The funding rate is a periodic payment exchanged between long and short positions in perpetual futures markets, designed to keep the perpetual's price tethered to the underlying spot price. When longs pay shorts the rate is positive; when shorts pay longs it is negative.
Futures Wallet
Dedicated wallet for margin, futures, and perpetual trading (isolated or cross).
Gas Fee
A gas fee is the cost paid to process a transaction or execute a smart contract action on a blockchain. It is the fee users pay to the network so their transaction can be included and confirmed.
Genesis Block
The Genesis Block is the very first block of a blockchain.
Governance Risk
Governance risk is the possibility that decisions made through a protocol’s governance process (token voting, multisig, or admin actions) negatively affect users—via malicious proposals, poor parameter changes, or capture by large holders.
Governance Token
A governance token is a token that grants its holders the right to vote on changes to a protocol — fee parameters, treasury spending, code upgrades, or strategic decisions. Holding the token is the on-chain equivalent of owning a share of the project's decision-making.
Hardware Wallet
A physical, offline device (such as Ledger Nano S/X, Trezor Model T, or KeepKey) that securely stores your cryptocurrency private keys and signs transactions without ever exposing the keys to the internet or your computer/phone.
Hash Rate
Hash rate measures the total computational power used in mining.
HODL
"Hold On for Dear Life" — a long-term passive investment strategy of holding cryptocurrencies through volatility without selling, originally from a 2013 Bitcoin forum typo for "hold."
Honeypot
A honeypot is a scam token that allows users to buy but prevents them from selling.
Honeypot Contract
A honeypot contract is a malicious token or smart contract designed so that buyers can purchase it but cannot sell. The code includes hidden restrictions — blacklists, tax functions, or transfer locks — that only trigger when a non-deployer wallet tries to exit.
Hot Wallet
A hot wallet is a crypto wallet connected to the internet, typically used for quick access, trading, transfers, and interacting with decentralized applications.
Iceberg Order
A large order split into smaller visible portions ("display size") while hiding the full quantity to avoid market impact.
ICO (Initial Coin Offering)
An Initial Coin Offering, or ICO, is a fundraising method where a new crypto project sells tokens to early supporters before or near launch in order to raise capital.
Immediate-or-Cancel (IOC) Order
An order that executes immediately what it can at the specified price/limits, then cancels any unfilled portion.