📖 Dictionnaire Crypto

Cryptomonnaies et Blockchain Glossaire

100+ Termes Essentiels Expliqués — De A à Z

Apprendre les cryptomonnaies et la technologie blockchain exige de comprendre la terminologie. Ce glossaire explique 100+ termes essentiels en langage clair — avec des exemples concrets et des définitions accessibles aux débutants.

Ce que vous trouverez

  • Terminologie complète de A à Z
  • Définitions pour débutants
  • Exemples concrets
  • Sans jargon compliqué

Comment utiliser

  1. 1.Utilisez Ctrl+F pour chercher un terme
  2. 2.Parcourez par lettre ci-dessous
  3. 3.Consultez le parcours d'apprentissage en bas
A

Address

A unique identifier for sending and receiving cryptocurrency on a blockchain. Similar to an email address but for crypto. Example: 1A1z7agoat7SYD4pG... (Bitcoin address). Each blockchain has different address formats.

Airdrop

Free distribution of cryptocurrency tokens to wallet addresses. Companies use airdrops to promote new projects, reward community members, or distribute tokens. Example: Uniswap airdropped UNI tokens to past users.

Altcoin

Any cryptocurrency that's not Bitcoin. "Alt" = alternative. Examples: Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Dogecoin. There are 20,000+ altcoins.

ASIC

Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. Specialized hardware designed specifically for mining one cryptocurrency (usually Bitcoin). ASIC miners are more efficient than GPUs for mining.

Asset

Anything of value you own. In crypto: Bitcoin, Ethereum, tokens, NFTs are all assets.

ATH

All-Time High. The highest price an asset has ever reached. Bitcoin ATH: ~$69,000 (November 2021).

Attestation

A formal confirmation or verification. In Ethereum staking, validators provide attestations confirming they've validated transactions correctly.

Authentication

Verification of identity. Biometric (fingerprint, face ID) or PIN-based. Protects your wallet.

Aave

Leading DeFi lending protocol. Allows users to deposit crypto and earn interest, or borrow against collateral. One of the largest DeFi platforms.

B

Blockchain

A distributed ledger technology where data is recorded in blocks linked chronologically and cryptographically. The technology behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most cryptocurrencies. Immutable and transparent.

Bitcoin (BTC)

The first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Created in 2009 by anonymous creator(s) known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Operates on proof-of-work consensus.

Block

A set of transactions bundled together and added to the blockchain. Each block contains transaction data, timestamp, and reference to previous block (creating the "chain").

Block Reward

Cryptocurrency given to miners/validators for adding a new block to the blockchain. Bitcoin block reward: 6.25 BTC (halves every 4 years).

Block Time

Average time between blocks being added. Bitcoin: ~10 minutes. Ethereum: ~12 seconds. Solana: ~0.4 seconds.

Blockchain Explorer

Website that lets you view blockchain data: transactions, addresses, blocks. Example: Etherscan for Ethereum.

Bridge (Blockchain Bridge)

Technology that allows assets to move between different blockchains. Example: Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) on Ethereum represents Bitcoin on the Ethereum network.

Bull Market

Market where prices are rising. Opposite of bear market. "Bullish" = expecting price to go up.

Bear Market

Market where prices are falling. "Bearish" = expecting price to go down.

Burn

Permanently removing cryptocurrency from circulation. Usually done by sending to an address that can never be accessed. Reduces supply, potentially increasing scarcity.

Buy the Dip

Buying cryptocurrency when the price drops ("dip"). Strategy for long-term investors.

C

Cryptocurrency

Digital currency using cryptography for security. Not issued by governments. Examples: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana.

Cryptography

Mathematical technique for secure communication. Cryptocurrencies use cryptography to secure transactions and control creation of new coins.

Centralized (Centralization)

Controlled by one entity or small group. Banks are centralized. Cryptocurrencies aim for decentralization.

Coin

Cryptocurrency with its own blockchain. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana are coins. Different from tokens which run on existing blockchains.

Cold Wallet (Cold Storage)

Offline cryptocurrency storage. Hardware wallets, paper wallets. Most secure but less convenient. For long-term holding.

Smart Contract

Self-executing code on blockchain that runs automatically when conditions are met. Powers DeFi applications.

Collateral

Assets pledged to secure a loan. In DeFi: deposit Ethereum to borrow stablecoins.

Compound Interest

Interest earned on interest. Occurs automatically in most DeFi platforms. "The 8th wonder of the world."

Confirmation

A blockchain transaction has been verified and added to a block. More confirmations = more secure. Bitcoin typically needs 6 confirmations.

Consensus Mechanism

How blockchain networks agree on valid transactions. Main types: Proof-of-Work, Proof-of-Stake.

CRV (Curve Token)

Governance token for Curve Finance (stablecoin DEX). Holders vote on protocol changes.

D

Decentralization (Decentralized)

Distributed control among many participants instead of central authority. Core principle of cryptocurrency.

DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

Financial services (lending, borrowing, trading) built on blockchain without banks. No intermediaries.

DEX (Decentralized Exchange)

Peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange. Users trade directly from wallets. Examples: Uniswap, SushiSwap, Curve.

Diamond Hands

Investor who holds during price drops. Opposite of paper hands (sells quickly).

Dip

Temporary price drop. "Buy the dip" = buying when prices fall temporarily.

Double Spending

Spending the same digital asset twice. Blockchain prevents this through consensus.

DYOR (Do Your Own Research)

Advice to research before investing. Don't rely solely on others' recommendations.

Dust

Small amounts of cryptocurrency left in an account. Often too expensive to move due to network fees.

E

Ethereum (ETH)

Second-largest cryptocurrency. Features smart contracts, enabling decentralized applications (dApps). Launched 2015.

ERC-20

Standard for creating tokens on Ethereum. Like a template ensuring tokens work together.

ENS (Ethereum Name Service)

Human-readable names for wallet addresses. Instead of 0x742d35Cc... use vitalik.eth.

ETH2 (Ethereum 2.0)

Transition of Ethereum from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake. Completed September 2022.

EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)

The "computer" that executes smart contracts. Other blockchains are "EVM-compatible" if they support Ethereum contracts.

Exchange

Platform for buying/selling crypto. Centralized (Coinbase, Kraken) or decentralized (Uniswap).

Exploit

Taking advantage of a smart contract bug to steal funds. Security nightmare of DeFi.

F

Faucet (Crypto Faucet)

Website that gives small amounts of crypto for free. Usually requires completing tasks.

Fiat

Government-issued currency: USD, EUR, GBP, etc. "Fiat on-ramp" = converting fiat to crypto.

Flash Loan

Uncollateralized loan that must be repaid within the same transaction. Used in DeFi, can enable arbitrage and attacks.

Floor Price

Lowest asking price for NFTs in a collection. "Bored Apes trading at 50 ETH floor."

Fork

Update to blockchain software creating new version. "Soft fork" = backward compatible. "Hard fork" = requires upgrade (can create new chain).

FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)

Negative news or rumors causing price panic. Usually temporary.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Emotional buying based on fear of missing gains. Often leads to buying at market tops.

Fungible

Interchangeable. $1 = any other $1. Bitcoin = any other Bitcoin. Opposite of non-fungible (NFTs).

G

Gas

Fee paid for blockchain transactions. Measured in Gwei. Prevents spam, rewards miners. Ethereum gas varies: $1–$300 per transaction depending on congestion.

Gas Fee

Cost to execute transaction on blockchain. Higher during congestion. Users can set limit to avoid overpaying.

Gwei

Unit of Ethereum. 1 billion Gwei = 1 ETH.

Genesis Block

First block in a blockchain. Bitcoin genesis block: January 3, 2009.

Governance Token

Token granting voting rights on protocol changes. Holders vote on upgrades, fee changes, etc.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

Computer hardware used for mining certain cryptocurrencies. Less efficient than ASICs but more versatile.

H

Halving

Event where block rewards are cut in half. Bitcoin halves every 4 years (~210,000 blocks). Last halving: April 2024.

Hash

Unique cryptographic fingerprint of data. Change one character = completely different hash. Used to verify data integrity.

Hash Function

Mathematical function producing hash. Bitcoin uses SHA-256.

Hashrate

Speed at which miners/validators process hashes. Indicates network security.

Hodl (Hold)

Strategy of holding cryptocurrency long-term despite price fluctuations. Originally a typo for "hold" in early Bitcoin forum post.

Hot Wallet

Online cryptocurrency storage. Convenient but less secure than cold wallets. For frequent trading.

Hardware Wallet

Physical device storing private keys offline. Examples: Ledger, Trezor. Most secure for long-term storage.

Honeypot

Scam designed to trap users. Often appears as profitable opportunity but steals funds.

I

Impermanent Loss (IL)

Loss from providing liquidity to pools when token prices change dramatically. When you withdraw, worth less than if you'd just held.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)

Early fundraising method for crypto projects. Issue and sell tokens to raise funds. Many turned out to be scams.

Initial DEX Offering (IDO)

Token launch on decentralized exchange instead of centralized ICO.

Institutional Investor

Large organizations (hedge funds, pension funds, universities) investing. Recently entering crypto, increasing legitimacy.

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System)

Distributed file storage system. Used by NFT platforms to store metadata/images.

J

JavaScript

Programming language used in many blockchain projects. Relevant for developers.

K

Key (Private Key)

Secret code controlling cryptocurrency ownership. Never share. If lost, crypto is inaccessible. Length: 256-bit for Bitcoin.

Key Pair

Public key and private key together. Public is your address, private unlocks funds.

KYC (Know Your Customer)

Identity verification required by exchanges. Prevents money laundering. Required to buy crypto with fiat.

Keccak-256

Cryptographic hash function used by Ethereum. Similar to SHA-3.

L

Layer 1 (L1)

Main blockchain. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana are L1s. Slower but most secure.

Layer 2 (L2)

Secondary blockchain on top of L1. Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon. Faster and cheaper than L1.

Ledger

Record of transactions. Blockchain is a distributed ledger.

Leverage

Borrowing money to increase trading position. 2x leverage = $10K becomes $20K buying power. Risky.

Liquidity

Ease of buying/selling without affecting price. Bitcoin = high liquidity. Obscure token = low liquidity.

Liquidity Pool (LP)

Smart contract holding token pairs enabling swaps. Liquidity providers deposit tokens, earn swap fees.

Liquidity Provider (LP)

Person depositing tokens in liquidity pool. Earns portion of swap fees. Exposed to impermanent loss.

LSD (Liquid Staking Derivative)

Token representing staked cryptocurrency. Lido's stETH = liquid staking derivative of ETH. Tradeable while earning staking rewards.

M

Market Cap (Market Capitalization)

Total value of all coins in circulation. Bitcoin market cap = price × supply.

MEV (Maximal Extractable Value)

Profit miners/validators can extract by reordering transactions. Can cause front-running exploits.

Merkle Tree

Cryptographic data structure organizing transactions in blocks. Enables efficient verification.

Metadata

Data about data. NFT metadata describes attributes (rarity, traits, etc.).

Metaverse

Virtual world where users interact, buy/own virtual real estate and items. Examples: Decentraland, The Sandbox.

Mint

Creating new cryptocurrency or NFT. Opposite of burn.

Mining

Process of validating transactions and creating new blocks. Requires computational work (Proof-of-Work). Miners earn rewards.

Mining Pool

Miners combine computing power to find blocks faster. Rewards split among participants.

Multi-Sig (Multisignature)

Wallet requiring multiple private keys to authorize transaction. Enhanced security.

N

NFT (Non-Fungible Token)

Unique digital asset. Unlike cryptocurrencies (interchangeable), each NFT is unique. Used for art, collectibles, gaming items.

Node

Computer running blockchain software. Validates transactions, maintains copy of blockchain. Full node vs light node.

Nonce

"Number used once." In PoW: random number miners adjust to find valid block hash.

O

Oracle

Service providing external data to smart contracts. Example: price feeds. Chainlink is leading oracle provider.

Order Book

List of buy/sell orders at different prices. Used by centralized exchanges.

OTC (Over-the-Counter)

Direct peer-to-peer trading outside exchanges. Often used for large trades.

P

Paper Hands

Investor selling quickly during panic. Opposite of diamond hands.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P)

Direct interaction between parties without intermediary. Cryptocurrency enables P2P payments.

Phishing

Scam attempt to steal private keys/passwords. Usually fake websites or emails. Never share private keys.

Polygon (MATIC)

Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum. Much cheaper and faster than Ethereum mainnet.

Proof of Work (PoW)

Consensus mechanism requiring computational work. Bitcoin uses PoW. Miners compete to solve puzzles.

Proof of Stake (PoS)

Consensus mechanism where validators lock coins to validate. Ethereum switched to PoS. More energy-efficient than PoW.

Private Key

Secret code controlling cryptocurrency. Never share. If lost, crypto is inaccessible.

Public Key

Derived from private key but safe to share. Used to receive cryptocurrency.

Pump and Dump

Market manipulation where pumpers artificially inflate price then dump holdings. Illegal in traditional markets.

Q

Quantum Computing

Computing technology using quantum mechanics. Poses theoretical threat to cryptocurrency cryptography (future concern).

R

Rug Pull

Scam where developers steal investor funds. Common in DeFi projects. Invest in well-audited projects.

Rekt

Slang for wrecked/destroyed. "Lost all my money, got rekt."

Resistance Level

Price level where selling pressure increases. Technical analysis term.

Rollup

Layer 2 scaling solution bundling multiple transactions into one. Optimistic rollups vs zero-knowledge rollups.

Royalty

Percentage creator earns from secondary NFT sales. Enforced by contract (not always applied).

S

Satoshi Nakamoto

Anonymous creator of Bitcoin. Identity unknown. Disappeared in 2010.

Satoshi (Sat)

Smallest Bitcoin unit. 1 Bitcoin = 100 million satoshis.

Scalability

Network's ability to handle increasing transactions. Bitcoin = ~7 tps. Solana = 65,000 tps.

Security Audit

Third-party review of smart contract code for vulnerabilities. Important for DeFi safety.

Security Gate

5-point transaction verification system in Meton Wallet. Checks address, fraud, contracts, history, gas.

Self-Custody

Holding your own private keys. Non-custodial. Maximum security and responsibility.

Seed Phrase (Recovery Seed, Mnemonic)

12–24 words backing up all your private keys. Lose it = lose all crypto. Write it down and store safely.

Sharding

Dividing blockchain into smaller parts (shards) processing transactions in parallel. Improves scalability.

Slashing

Penalty where validators lose staked coins for misbehavior. Incentivizes honest validation.

Slippage

Price difference between expected and actual execution. High slippage on low-liquidity pairs. Usually 0.1–1%.

Solana (SOL)

High-speed blockchain. 65,000 transactions per second. Low fees.

Stablecoin

Cryptocurrency pegged to stable asset (usually USD). Examples: USDC, DAI, USDT. Reduces volatility.

Staking

Holding cryptocurrency to validate transactions and earn rewards. Validators lock coins, network pays rewards. 3–8% APY typical.

Stop Loss

Automatic order to sell if price drops below threshold. Risk management tool.

Swap

Trading one token for another. Usually through DEX or aggregator.

T

Testnet

Test version of blockchain for developers. Coins have no value. Bitcoin testnet, Ethereum testnet, etc.

Token

Digital asset on existing blockchain. ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum, SPL tokens on Solana. Different from coins (which have own blockchain).

Token Burn

Permanently removing tokens from supply. Reduces supply, potentially increasing value.

Tokenomics

Economics of token. Supply, distribution, incentives, etc. Important for evaluating projects.

Transaction Fee

Cost to execute blockchain transaction. Network fee, not company fee. Goes to miners/validators.

Transaction Hash

Unique identifier of transaction. Can look up transaction on blockchain explorer using hash.

Trustless

System requiring no trusted intermediaries. Users trust math/cryptography, not institutions.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Requiring two forms of verification to login. Biometric + password, or code + password.

U

Underlying Asset

Asset backing a token. Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) backed by BTC. Staked ETH backed by ETH staking.

Unconfirmed Transaction

Transaction broadcast but not yet added to block. In limbo until confirmation.

Uniswap

Largest decentralized exchange. Automated market maker (AMM) enabling token swaps without orderbook.

Unit Bias

Cognitive bias favoring lower-priced coins. "Dogecoin is cheaper than Bitcoin, must have more upside." Logical fallacy.

Utility Token

Token providing access to service. Different from security tokens. Governance tokens are utilities.

V

Validator

Participant validating transactions in PoS blockchain. Ethereum has 1M+ validators. Earns rewards, risks slashing.

Vault

Smart contract securely holding funds. Often used in DeFi strategies.

Venture Capital (VC)

Investment firms funding startups. Many VC funds now investing in crypto.

Virtual Machine (VM)

Software emulating a computer. EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) runs smart contracts.

Volatility

Rate of price change. Crypto = high volatility. Bitcoin swing: $20K–$69K in 2021.

W

Wallet

Software or hardware storing cryptocurrency. Non-custodial (you hold keys) vs custodial (exchange holds keys).

Wash Trading

Artificially inflating trading volume by buying and selling to yourself. Market manipulation.

Wei

Smallest Ethereum unit. 1 billion billion wei = 1 ETH.

Whale

Person/entity holding massive amounts of cryptocurrency. Can move markets. 1000+ BTC = whale.

Whitepaper

Technical document explaining cryptocurrency/project. Bitcoin whitepaper: 9 pages. Essential reading.

White-Label

Pre-built solution customized with your branding. White-label wallet lets companies launch branded wallets.

Wrapped Token

Token representing asset from another blockchain. Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) = Bitcoin on Ethereum.

Web3

Vision of decentralized internet. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain as foundation. Contrast with Web2 (current centralized internet).

X

xChain

Cross-chain bridge or protocol enabling multi-blockchain interaction.

Y

Yearn Finance (YFI)

DeFi protocol automating yield farming. Automatically moves funds between protocols seeking best yields.

YOLO (You Only Live Once)

Reckless investment strategy (all-in on speculation). Risky.

Yield

Return on investment. Staking yield, farming yield, lending yield. 3–15% typical in DeFi.

Yield Farming

Depositing crypto in DeFi protocols to earn rewards. Combines staking + swap fees. 5–50%+ yields possible (but risky).

Z

Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZK Proof)

Cryptographic proof proving something without revealing underlying data. Privacy + security. zkSync uses this for scaling.

Zero-Knowledge Rollup (ZK Rollup)

Layer 2 using zero-knowledge proofs. Smaller and faster than optimistic rollups. Examples: zkSync, StarkNet.

Zk-SNARK

Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge. Cryptographic protocol enabling privacy.

Zk-STARK

Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge. Alternative to zk-SNARK. Used by StarkNet.

Abréviations Courantes

Référence rapide pour les abréviations crypto les plus utilisées.

AbréviationSignificationContexte
APYAnnual Percentage YieldStaking, earning
BTCBitcoinCryptocurrency
DAIDai StablecoinStablecoin
DeFiDecentralized FinanceFinance services
DEXDecentralized ExchangeTrading
ETHEthereumBlockchain
FUDFear, Uncertainty, DoubtMarket sentiment
GasTransaction feeBlockchain
HODLHold On for Dear LifeStrategy
KYCKnow Your CustomerRegulation
LPLiquidity ProviderDeFi
NFTNon-Fungible TokenDigital assets
PoSProof-of-StakeConsensus
PoWProof-of-WorkConsensus
TVLTotal Value LockedDeFi
USDCUS Dollar CoinStablecoin

Parcourir par Catégorie

Termes regroupés pour un apprentissage ciblé.

⛓️

Bases de la Blockchain

AddressBlockchainBlockBlock RewardHashMiningNodeProof-of-WorkProof-of-StakeSmart ContractValidator

Principales Cryptomonnaies

Bitcoin (BTC)Ethereum (ETH)Solana (SOL)Polygon (MATIC)Altcoin
🏦

DeFi

AaveDEXLiquidity PoolStakingYield FarmingFlash LoanImpermanent Loss
🔐

Portefeuilles et Sécurité

Cold WalletHardware WalletHot WalletPrivate KeySeed PhraseSelf-CustodySecurity Gate
📈

Trading et Marchés

Bear MarketBull MarketLeverageLiquidityMarket CapSlippageStop LossSwap
🛡️

Réglementation et Sécurité

KYC (Know Your Customer)Security AuditRug PullPhishingPump and Dump

Parcours d'Apprentissage Recommandé

Nouveau dans la crypto ? Suivez ces étapes pour construire vos connaissances depuis le début.

1

Learn Blockchain Basics

20 minutes
BlockchainBlockTransactionNodeHashCryptocurrency
2

Understand Consensus

30 minutes
Proof-of-WorkProof-of-StakeMiningValidator
3

Explore Cryptocurrencies

40 minutes
BitcoinEthereumSolanaAltcoin
4

Understand Wallets

30 minutes
WalletPrivate KeySeed PhraseCold WalletHot Wallet
5

Learn DeFi

1 hour
DeFiLiquidity PoolStakingYield FarmingSmart Contract

Temps total d'apprentissage : 3–4 heures

Après cela, vous comprendrez les fondamentaux de la crypto.

Questions sur le Glossaire

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Are There More Terms You Recommend Learning?

Start with the blockchain basics section. Then explore categories relevant to what you're interested in.

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Dernière mise à jour : juin 2026 · 100+ termes · 6 catégories · Mis à jour régulièrement

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