Glossary — Blockchain & Token Terms in Plain English
Quick, jargon-free definitions for every key term in the course.
Address — A shareable identifier (derived from your public key) that others use to send tokens to you. Like an account number.
Archive node — A full node that also stores the complete historical state of the chain at every past point. Heavy, used for deep history and analytics.
Block — A batch of transactions recorded together, like a single page in the ledger.
Blockchain — A shared digital ledger, copied across many participants, built so past entries can't be secretly changed.
Centralized system — One where a single authority controls everything. Fast but a single point of failure.
Coin — The native currency built into a blockchain itself (vs a token, which is built on top of one).
Consensus mechanism — The rules by which a decentralized network agrees on one shared truth (e.g., PoW, PoS, PoA).
Consortium blockchain — A blockchain run by a group of known organizations together, between fully public and fully private.
Data-backed token — A token whose value is anchored to data, a genuinely in-demand real-world asset.
Decentralized system — One where control is spread across many participants, with no all-powerful center.
Distributed — Spread across many machines (which may still be centrally owned). About where things run, not who decides.
Fiat money — Government-issued currency backed by trust in the issuer rather than a physical commodity.
Full node — A computer storing a complete copy of the ledger and independently verifying every rule.
Governance token — A token granting voting rights over how a project is run.
Hash — A unique fixed-length "fingerprint" of data; any change to the input completely changes the hash.
Immutability — The property that once recorded and confirmed, data practically can't be changed.
In-app / ecosystem token — A token used like points or currency inside an app or family of apps; usually not cashable out. (TPDT is an example.)
KYC (Know Your Customer) — Identity verification used by reputable platforms to prevent abuse and laundering.
Light node — A lightweight client (e.g., a phone wallet) that stores little data and relies on full nodes.
Money laundering — Disguising the origin of illicit funds; harder with traceable, non-cashable tokens.
NFT (Non-fungible token) — A unique, non-interchangeable token representing ownership of a specific item.
Node — Any computer running the blockchain software and participating in the network.
Permissioned — A network where approval is required to participate, especially to validate.
Permissionless — A network anyone can join and participate in without approval.
Ponzi / pyramid scheme — A scam paying earlier participants with newer participants' money; no real value underneath.
Private key — Your secret master key; controls your funds. Never share it.
Private blockchain — A restricted blockchain controlled by one organization.
Proof of Authority (PoA) — Consensus where pre-approved, identified validators are trusted based on identity and reputation. Fast, efficient, used by private/consortium/ecosystem chains.
Proof of Stake (PoS) — Consensus where validators stake tokens as collateral; cheating forfeits the stake.
Proof of Work (PoW) — Consensus where miners solve costly puzzles; secure but energy-intensive.
Public blockchain — An open blockchain anyone can read from and participate in.
Public key — The shareable counterpart to your private key, used to verify your signatures.
Pump and dump — Artificially inflating a token's price, then selling at the peak, crashing it on latecomers.
Recovery phrase — A human-readable form of your private key used to restore a wallet. Never share it.
Rug pull — When creators attract money then vanish with it, leaving holders with worthless tokens.
Security / asset token — A token representing investment or ownership in an external asset; heavily regulated.
Signature (digital) — Cryptographic proof a transaction came from you, made with your private key and verifiable with your public key.
Smart contract — Self-executing code on a blockchain that runs automatically when conditions are met.
Stablecoin — A token designed to hold steady value, usually pegged to a national currency.
Token — A unit of value or rights on a blockchain, defined by a smart contract.
Tokenomics — The economics of a token: supply, demand, distribution, and utility.
TPDT — The in-app ecosystem token of the Tupic platform; earned and spent across its services, not cashable out.
Utility token — A token giving access to a product or service.
Validator — A special node that creates and confirms new blocks. In PoA, an approved, identified party.
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