51% Attack

A situation where a single entity or group controls over 50% of the network's mining power, potentially allowing them to manipulate the blockchain.

Airdrop

The distribution of free tokens to a community, often used as a marketing strategy or to reward early adopters.

Atomic Swap

A smart contract technology that enables the exchange of one cryptocurrency for another without the need for a centralized intermediary.

Burning

The process of permanently removing a certain amount of cryptocurrency from circulation to reduce supply.

Consensus Mechanism

The process by which a blockchain network reaches agreement on a single data value or set of transactions.

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

An organization that operates through smart contracts and is governed by its members, often using tokens to vote on decisions.

dApp (Decentralized Application)

An application that runs on a decentralized network, such as a blockchain, rather than on a centralized server.

ERC-20

A standard for tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, which allows for the creation and issuance of fungible tokens.

ERC-721

A standard for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain, used for unique digital assets.

Escrow

A third-party service that holds funds or assets until the completion of a transaction or agreement.