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A reference guide to commonly used terms in blockchain, digital assets, and financial crime compliance.

5AMLD
The 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive – adopted by the European Parliament in April 2018 – extends AML and CFT obligations to cryptoassets.

Address
A cryptoasset address is a unique identifier that serves as a virtual location where a cryptoasset can be sent. The address can be freely shared with others to facilitate transactions.
Alphanumeric
Alphanumeric data contains both numbers and letters. A Bitcoin address is an example of alphanumeric data.
Altcoin
The term "altcoin" typically refers to any cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin.
Anonymity
This is the condition of being anonymous, so your identity and/or actions are not publicly known.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
Criminals use money laundering to conceal their crimes and the money derived from them. Anti-money laundering (AML) seeks to deter criminals by making it harder for them to hide ill-gotten money. AML regulations require financial institutions to monitor customers' transactions and report on suspicious financial activity. In jurisdictions that regulate cryptocurrency service providers, the AML and compliance standards for traditional finance often apply to cryptocurrency too.

Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)
The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (BSA) – also known as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act – is a US law requiring financial institutions in the United States to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering. Specifically, the act requires financial institutions to keep records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, file reports if the daily aggregate exceeds $10,000, and report suspicious activity that may signify money laundering, tax evasion or other criminal activities. In October 2019, FinCEN issued a joint statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to provide a united anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) front and explain how they define and regulate cryptoassets. The three leading US financial regulators remind persons engaged in activities involving cryptoassets of their AML/CFT duties and that they should make sure that they stay compliant with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
Binance Chain
Binance Chain is a protocol launched by the crypto exchange Binance. It has the native cryptocurrency BNB, however this was first released on the Ethereum blockchain and has since been token swapped. This function-rich blockchain allows users to create their own tokens on it, utilize an integrated decentralized exchange and use the Binance Smart Chain, which is a parallel blockchain allowing smart contract functionality.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) is a peer-to-peer (P2P) version of electronic cash that allows online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. All Bitcoin transactions are visible on a public ledger called a blockchain which anyone can download a copy of in order to verify and process transactions. The total supply is limited to just under 21 million and a full bitcoin can be divided up to 8 decimal places, the smallest of which is called a ‘satoshi’ after the anonymous creator of the network, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Bitcoin ATM
A Bitcoin ATM (Automated Teller Machine) is a kiosk that allows a person to purchase Bitcoin by using cash or debit card. Some Bitcoin ATMs offer bi-directional functionality enabling both the purchase of Bitcoin as well as the sale of Bitcoin for cash. Bitcoin ATMs do not connect to a bank account and instead connect the user directly to a Bitcoin wallet or cryptocurrency exchange.
Blockchain
A blockchain is the transaction database shared by all nodes participating in a specific cryptoasset network. A full copy of a network’s blockchain contains every transaction ever executed in the asset. It was first introduced in the Bitcoin whitepaper published in October 2008 as the underlying protocol to allow truly peer-to-peer transactions.
Blockchain Analysis/Blockchain Analytics
Blockchain analysis combines transaction information from the blockchain with other data in order to gain insights into the flow of cryptoassets between actors. This information can be used to identify financial crime and meet regulatory requirements.
Blocks
Each block in the blockchain is a collection of transactions that is linked to the previous block in the chain by means of a cryptographic hash to ensure it is valid and a legitimate connection to the previous block. After a block is added to the blockchain, the mining process to build and validate the next block begins.
BNB
BNB – or Binance Coin – started out as a utility token available on the Binance exchange. Unlike mainstream cryptocurrencies, it is meant to be used within the eponymous ecosystem.

Cold Storage
When cryptocurrency is referred to as being held in cold storage it means the associated private key for the address is being held offline. The most common forms of this are a hardware wallet or written down physically – such as on a piece of paper.
Crypto Custodian
A Crypto custodian stores digital assets on behalf of retail and institutional customers. Often, a crypto exchange also performs this role.
Cryptoasset
A cryptoasset is a digital asset that is secured with cryptography and where transactions are distributed and validated by a decentralized set of participants, and recorded on a public ledger known as a blockchain.
Cryptocurrency
The term "cryptocurrency" can be used as an umbrella term for virtual forms of money, but is generally used when talking about assets which are supported by a blockchain like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Cryptocurrencies are not issued or controlled by any government or other central authority. They exist on peer-to-peer networks of computers running free, open-source software. Generally, anyone who wants to participate by owning, sending or spending can do so. The abbreviation "crypto" is often used when speaking and writing.
Cryptocurrency Exchange
A cryptocurrency exchange is a business allowing customers to buy or sell digital assets using either fiat or cryptocurrencies. Examples include Coinbase and Kraken.
Cryptography
Cryptography is the use of mathematics – specifically encryption – to secure computer networks and digital data, which ensures information or systems can only be accessed by the intended recipient.

Dark Web
The dark web is a subset of the deep web, which is a part of the internet that isn't indexed by search engines such as Google. It requires the use of anonymizing browsers like Tor to access. Most dark web marketplaces conduct transactions in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The inherent anonymity of the dark web attracts scammers and criminals, but not everything there is nefarious or illegal. The Tor network began as an anonymous communications channel, and it still serves a valuable purpose in helping people communicate in environments that are hostile to free speech.
Decentralized Application (dApp)
Decentralized Applications (dApps) are a computer application that runs on a decentralized computing system such as Ethereum.
Decentralized Autonomous Organisation (DAO)
A Decentralized Autonomous Organisation (DAO) is a a computer program with no manager or leader running on a peer-to-peer network with a series of smart contracts encoded into the blockchain. Hence, there is no need for any human intervention, as the DAO runs completely autonomously on the blockchain. The intention of a DAO is that it is an organisation which can run with decentralized governance. DAOs have been formed to try to collectively buy a copy of the US constitution, to be creator-led communities, and work as investment firms.
Decentralized Exchange (DEX)
A Decentralized Exchange (DEX) is a combination of smart contracts which enables users to swap cryptoassets peer-to-peer, without the need for a trusted intermediary. This differs from a traditional centralized exchange where there is an off-chain order book and users must deposit cryptoassets into the custody of the exchange in order to transact.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
Decentralized finance (DeFi) is a peer-to-peer, decentralized, censorship-resistant financial system. Common DeFi applications include crypto wallets, lending, borrowing, spot trading, margin trading, interest-earning, market-making, derivatives, options and more.
Decryption
Decryption is the process of decoding information and the opposite process from encryption. It converts the cipher text back into plain text to reveal the original message.
Digital Signature
A digital signature is a mathematical scheme for verifying the authenticity of digital messages or documents. A valid digital signature – where the prerequisites are satisfied – gives a recipient very strong reason to believe that the message was created by a known sender (authentication), and that the message was not altered in transit (integrity).
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)
Distributed Ledger Technology – also known as shared ledger or DLT – refers to peer-to-peer networks which reach consensus to ensure that the replication across nodes is undertaken. Unlike distributed databases or centralized services, there is no central administrator and participants and nodes can be across multiple sites, countries or institutions. The most well known example of Distributed Ledger Technology is a blockchain.

Encryption
Encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information – known as plaintext – into an alternative form known as ciphertext. The opposite process is decryption.
Ethereum
The Ethereum blockchain is a network with the ambition of being a decentralized world computer. As such, it offers a more function rich protocol than the Bitcoin blockchain and allows users to transfer the native asset Ether (ETH) as well as creating smart contracts and tokens, or creating more complex decentralized applications (dApps). Ethereum was launched in 2015 and it’s co-creator Vitalik Buterin is a well known individual in the blockchain world – often speaking at conferences and being active in the space.

FATF Travel Rule
The FATF Travel rule states that virtual asset providers (VASPs) must identify the senders (originators) and receivers (beneficiaries) of cryptocurrency transactions initiated by their users once it goes above a certain amount, which varies by country or jurisdiction. Authorities can take freezing action and prohibit the conducting of transactions which are the subject of UN Security Council resolutions relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorism and terrorist financing.
Fiat Currency
A fiat currency is a national currency – often established as legal tender by government regulation – that is not pegged to the price of a commodity such as gold or silver.
FinCEN
The Financial Crimes Network (FinCEN) is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. It is tasked with safeguarding the financial system from illicit use, combating money laundering and promoting national security through the collection, analysis and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities.
Fork
A fork in a blockchain represents a split where two competing chains are formed from the same history. It can happen unintentionally – where two miners find a successful block at the same time, for instance. Alternatively, a fork can be initiated by developers for a number of reasons, like offering more functionality or helping to resolve a major hack. Examples include Bitcoin in 2017, which led to the creation of Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum in 2021, known as the London fork, which served to help reduce transaction fee volatility.
FUD
FUD is an acronym often encountered in the crypto world and stands for "fear, uncertainty and doubt". The term is often encountered on social media and can lead to a cryptocurrency price drop.
Fungible Token
A token which is fungible means that any unit of the asset is interchangeable with any other. This is the same property which coins in a purse have – a $1 coin has the same value as any other $1 coin. The opposite of this is non-fungible tokens.

Genesis Block
The genesis block is the term used to refer to the first block created on a blockchain. It therefore has height 0 and contains the first transactions ever processed on the network.

Hacking
Hacking is an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network.
Halving
The initial block reward for a Bitcoin block being mined was 50 BTC. This amount halves after every 210,000 blocks so that, on current forecasts, it is estimated that there will be no further BTC created in or near the year 2140, as by then the halving process will have exceeded the eight decimal places by which a bitcoin can be subdivided. As such, there will only ever be a little under 21 million BTC created. Halving refers to the process.
Hardware Wallet
A hardware wallet is physical device for storing a user’s private key, which in turn is used to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions.
Hash Rate
A hash rate is a measure of the combined computational power at any one time that is being used to mine and process cryptoasset transactions.
HODL
HODL is a term in the industry for holding onto your crypto and not selling it – even in a turbulent market. The term is sometimes misattributed to be an acronym for "hold on for dear life", but it is actually from a Bitcointalk forum post in 2013 where a user misspelled the word "hold".
Hyperledger
A hyperledger is a global enterprise blockchain project created in December 2015 by the Linux Foundation. Participants include Samsung, IBM and Microsoft. It works by providing the necessary infrastructure and standards, guidelines and tools to build open source blockchains and related applications for use across various industries.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)
An initial coin offering (ICO) is a digital way to raise funds within a limited period of time by issuing a cryptocurrency that is related to a specific project, business model or idea. The cryptocurrency typically is created and disseminated using distributed ledger or blockchain technology and may be tradable on specific platforms. Between 2017 and 2018 there was a boom of ICOs, with the majority being run on the Ethereum blockchain.

Know-Your-Customer (KYC)
Know-your-customer (KYC) standards help protect the financial services industry against fraud, money laundering, corruption and terrorist financing. They involve the checking and verifying of a client’s identity both at the onboarding stage and as part of continuing obligations.

Litecoin (LTC)
Litecoin is one of the more successful alternative cryptocurrencies to Bitcoin. The former shares a number of characteristics with Bitcoin – including the codebase – but it has a far greater distribution potential of 84 million coins.

Mainnet
Mainnet is a term used to describe individual and independent blockchains running their own protocol and utilizing their own technology. Examples include EOS, Polygon and VeChain.
Mining
Mining is the process by which transactions are added to the blockchain. An associated function of mining is it is responsible for introducing new coins into the existing circulating supply as rewards for the individuals responsible for verifying the earlier transaction. There are a number of mining methods blockchains can use such as proof of work and proof of stake.
Mixer
A mixer is a service where a user pools together some of their cryptoassets with other users' funds and then receives some funds back from this pool. The aim is to make it difficult or impossible to trace the original source of the funds since all the funds are mixed together. Mixers are commonly used by those seeking financial privacy, or by criminals seeking to launder proceeds of crime.
Mixer First Funding
Mixer first funding refers to addresses that receive their first transaction from a mixer, coin swap service or a low know-your-customer (KYC) exchange.

Native Asset
A native asset – or sometimes seen as native cryptocurrency – is simply the cryptocurrency that is issued directly by the blockchain protocol on which it runs. Hence, for example, ETH is the native asset of Ethereum.
Neobank
A neobank is an institution that provides banking services exclusively online via apps and online platforms.
Node
Any computer that connects to a particular network is called a node. Nodes that fully verify all of the consensus rules are called full nodes.
Non-fungible Token
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a kind of crypto asset that records ownership of a digital item and unlike cryptoassets such as Ether (ETH) and Bitcoin (BTC), is not mutually interchangeable. Each NFT is a unique asset in the digital world and can be bought and sold like any other item.
NPRM
A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is a public notice that is issued by law when an independent agency of the US government wishes to add, remove or change a rule or regulation as part of the rulemaking process.

Paper Wallet
A paper wallet is an offline method for storing your public and private keys. There are different websites and apps available to help cryptocurrency owners download their keys into a secure printed paper format. However, it could be as simple as a slip of paper with the private key details written on it.
Peer-to-Peer (P2P)
Peer-to-peer describes the decentralized nature of the computer network that underpins much of the crypto industry. It provides for the ability of each computer in a network to act as a server and hence remove the need for a central server.
Privacy Coin
A privacy coin is a type of cryptoasset based on a blockchain that does not publicly reveal all details of transactions – making blockchain analytics difficult or impossible. Examples include Monero and ZCash.
Privacy Wallet
A privacy wallet is essentially wallet software that provides additional privacy enhancing functionality.
Private Key
Every address has an associated private key which must be kept secret, since knowledge of it allows the owner to send or spend any cryptocurrency associated with the address. It can be thought of as the password which allows someone to access their emails. A private key is created through a mathematical process and is a string of numbers and letters. As such it can be kept online – referred to as hot storage – or offline, which is known as cold storage. The private key is generated from the public key and this public-private pair of keys is required for anyone transacting cryptocurrencies. It is used when making a transaction to confirm that the appropriate person or entity is behind the transaction.
Protocol
A protocol is the language which participants in a network must speak if they wish to take part. The Bitcoin Protocol is a communications specification. The protocol is defined by the rules for network communication, as opposed to the rules for transaction or block validity (consensus rules). There is currently no formal written standard for the Bitcoin Protocol; instead, there is a reference client, which is considered to be the correct specification of the protocol. The same protocol could theoretically be used by multiple networks, but in practice this is rare for public networks, usually only happening when there is a hard fork. In many cases, these hard forks will also be accompanied by a planned protocol change.
Pseudonymous
The nature of blockchain transactions, verified with a public key and the details stored on the blockchain, means that most blockchain transactions are not anonymous but pseudonymous, in that details of public addresses and transfer of data to and from those addresses is readily available.
Public Key
A public and private key pair are created using a mathematical process, and then using a series of hash functions the public key is transformed into a more user friendly format referred to as an ‘address’. This is used to send and receive cryptocurrency. Unlike the private key, the public key can be shared publicly without fear of loss of funds; however, sharing this information can be used to connect the public key (and therefore address) to an entity using blockchain analytics.
Pump and Dump
Much like pump and dump scams affecting regular stocks and shares, the process occurs in the crypto space when malevolent individuals or entities spread misinformation about an asset to artificially raise the price, at which point they will off-load their investment.

Ripple
Ripple is the company behind another popular eponymous crypto also known as XRP.

Sanctions
Sanctions are instruments of foreign policy that are imposed by countries or international organizations on other countries, or on entities and individuals within those nations. They are designed to penalize illegal activities, including financial crimes, humanitarian crimes and terrorism, or to achieve diplomatic objectives, economic sanctions specifically prevent firms and individuals from doing business in, or with, countries named on a sanctions list.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Satoshi Nakamoto was the author of the original paper proposing a peer-to-peer electronic cash system which introduced the world to Bitcoin. Whilst Nakamoto’s identity has remained elusive, the Satoshi is officially recognized as the smallest unit of a Bitcoin – being equivalent to a single 100 millionth.
Security Token
A security token represents a stake in an asset, most often a company, but in a digitized form Most traditional securities like shares, bonds and ETFs can be digitized – or tokenized – to become a security token. While they use the underlying blockchain technology, these assets are different to cryptocurrencies.
Silk Road
Silk Road was the first modern darknet market. This online black market operated on the dark web, which was accessed through software allowing anonymous communication – such as Tor. Users could access the network and purchase a host of illegal items and services using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Silk Road was shut down in 2013, but a number of similar services have emerged since then.
Smart Contract
A smart contract is a computer program or a transaction protocol which is intended to automatically execute, control or document legally relevant events and actions according to the terms of a contract or an agreement. It was initially concepted by Nick Szabo in 1998 and later implemented on blockchains such as Ethereum.
Stablecoins
The stablecoin market's rapid expansion to over $232 billion in circulation has spurred financial innovation, but it has also introduced complex security risks requiring advanced management.
Standard
A standard is a formalized written specification of a set of rules. If something adheres to the rules, it can be said to be standard-compliant, which may confer certain benefits. Examples include the ERC20 standard for fungible tokens in Ethereum, and the RFC821 standard for email over the internet using SMTP. A standard is often the formal definition of the rules which define a protocol – such as in the case of SMTP and RFC821.

Token
The term token refers to a programmable unit of value which is recorded and transferred on a blockchain. However, it is distinct from the native asset which is the cryptocurrency created by the protocol and used to pay fees, created as a block subsidy or used in the consensus protocol. The most popular token standard is ERC-20 on the Ethereum blockchain. Tether (USDT) is an example of a token on the Ethereum blockchain. Ether (ETH) is the native asset of Ethereum.
Token Swap
A token swap is when a blockchain migrates from having their token living on another blockchain, for example Ethereum, to their own blockchain. This mainly occurs when a project uses a pre-existing blockchain to develop and grow their community, and then once their own mainnet is ready, they launch a native asset on this. Users can then swap their tokens on the other blockchain for native assets on the mainnet.
Tokenize
To tokenize an asset is to convert the ownership rights into a digital token for the purposes of incorporating the asset onto a blockchain or other distributed ledger.
Transaction Fee
The transaction fee is applied to any transaction, for example when converting fiat currencies into crypto currencies or one cryptocurrency to another. charge is determined by network capacity to entice the miner of the blockchain to include the transaction in an upcoming block – thereby processing the transaction. The principal of the transaction fee, however, is exactly the same principal of any other traditional transaction fee such as converting sterling into dollars or vice versa.

Unbanked
Unbanked is a term used to describe those individuals who are either unable to or have chosen not to use traditional banks or similar entities for their financial transactions. Hence they could be reliant on cryptocurrencies and distributed ledgers for any transaction that does not involve literally handing over fiat currencies.
Unregulated
Simply any aspect of crypto or indeed regular financial services transactions that is outside of an existing regulatory regime.
Utility Token
A utility token is a blockchain-based asset bought with the intention to be used for a specific product, service or application in the future. They are not used with the intention of providing a return but, as the name suggests, the tokens are to be utilized in some form. Hence they will have some inherent functionality. An example is Binance Coin.

Vanity Address
A vanity address is one in which a number of the alphanumeric characters in an address has been adapted to include a specific word or phrase. Often many millions of combinations may need to be generated before the specific phrase or word is generated, but the outcome will be an address which is personal and easily identifiable but which retains its security.
Virtual Asset Service Provider
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) describes a virtual asset service provider (VASP) as an entity that facilitates any of these five business activities; the exchange between virtual assets and fiat currencies; the exchange between one or more forms of virtual assets; the transfer of virtual assets between crypto wallets; the safekeeping and/or administration of virtual assets or instruments enabling control over virtual assets; or the participation in and provision of financial services related to an issuer’s offer and/or sale of a virtual asset.

Wallet
A wallet is a collection of cryptoasset addresses and the corresponding private keys. They allow cryptoassets to be stored, keeping them safe and accessible. They also allow you to send, receive, and spend cryptoassets. Wallets can be self-hosted (where you retain control of the private keys) or hosted (where a custodian stores the private keys on your behalf).
Wei
Wei is the smallest denomination of Ether (ETH), the cryptocurrency used on the Ethereum network. 1 Ether = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Wei Wei and other denominations of Ether, such as Gwei – 1 Gwei = 1 million Wei – may be useful for describing small value transactions, typically used for transaction fees or when setting the gas limit of a transaction on Ethereum.
Whales
A whale is an individual or entity that holds significant amounts of any cryptocurrency. Such is the magnitude of their ownership that there is potential to manipulate the valuation of the currency being held.
Whitelist
The term whitelist refers to a list of allowed and identified individuals, institutions, computer programs, or even cryptocurrency addresses. In general, whitelists are related to a particular service, event, or piece of information.

XRP
XRP is the ticker symbol for the Ripple cryptocurrency and digital payment network first released in 2012. Ripple’s products are more akin to the services provided by SWIFT, in that they focus on providing a global payments network and currency exchange services.