Bitcoin
Bitcoin with a capital “B” refers to the entire system, the protocol that Bitcoin is based on, and the technology behind the currency. This includes the network of computers that keeps the system running. Bitcoin (with a capital “B”) is the infrastructure that makes it possible for bitcoin with a lowercase “b” to exist.
bitcoin
bitcoin with a lowercase “b,” refers to the unit of the currency bitcoin. These are the bitcoins you can buy, sell, send, and save. if you’re purchasing bitcoin, you use the lowercase, because you’re buying the currency, not the system.
Understanding this subtle difference will affect how you invest. Bitcoin network keeps getting more valuable but the price (bitcoin) may crash due to various reasons. Focusing on the network makes a difference.
Altcoin
Altcoins are all other cryptocurrencies asides bitcoin. An Altcoin is an alternative digital currency to bitcoin. The word altcoin is a derivative of “alternative” and “coin”, to form “altcoin”.
Bull market
A bull market is a financial market condition where prices of securities (such as stocks, real estate, or cryptocurrencies) are rising or are expected to rise over a sustained period.
It’s generally marked by a 20% or more increase in market prices from recent lows. Optimism, confidence, and high expectations for future growth drive bull markets. Investors are more willing to buy, pushing prices up further. It is characterised by rising stock prices. High investor demand and trading volumes
It is a good time for investors because asset prices keep climbing.
Bear market
A bear market is the opposite of a bull market — it’s when the prices of securities (such as stocks, real estate, or cryptocurrencies) are falling or expected to fall over a sustained period. A market is generally called a bear market when prices drop 20% or more from recent highs. It reflects widespread pessimism and fear among investors. Investors expect losses and often sell their holdings, which pushes prices down further. Fear and uncertainty dominate the market mood. It is characterised by falling prices, reduced trading activity and lower demand for risky assets.
FOMO
FOMO means Fear Of Missing Out. A basic human emotion which can lead to losses if not handled properly. You may have missed buying a coin at a cheap price then want to jump in when the the price starts to rise.
It happens when people rush to buy an asset just because others are making money from it, even if it’s overpriced or risky. Social media often fuels FOMO…Investors may panic and buy crypto simply because prices are rising fast and they don’t want to “miss the train.”This often leads to buying at the top and suffering losses when the hype cools down.
In summary: FOMO is the emotional pressure to jump in because you don’t want to be left behind.
JOMO
This is not a commonly used term like FOMO, JOMO (“Joy of Missing Out”) is being content with not chasing everything and focusing only on what aligns with your goals. This often comes with your maturity in the crypto market. For instance if you did nothing but hold bitcoin from $3000 to $120,000 you would have 40x your portfolio, a feat difficult to achieve by constant buying and selling or following the hype.
Crypto / Cryptocurrency
Digital money secured by cryptography (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum).
Blockchain
A decentralized digital ledger that records transactions. Transactions are stored in blocks
Wallet
A software or hardware tool to store your crypto. It has a public key (like an account number) and a private key (like your password).
Exchange
A platform where you can buy, sell, and trade crypto (e.g., Binance, Coinbase, kucoin, bybit).
Token vs Coin
Coins (like Bitcoin) run on their own blockchain; tokens (like USDT) are built on another blockchain.
Market & Trading Terms
- FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt; negative news that scares investors.
- HODL– A typo of “hold” that became slang for holding crypto long-term no matter the swings.
- Pump and Dump – Artificially driving a coin’s price up, then selling at the peak.
- Whale – An investor holding huge amounts of a crypto, capable of moving markets.
- ATH (All-Time High) – The highest price ever reached by a coin.
- ATL (All-Time Low) – The lowest price ever reached.
Technical / Blockchain Terms
- DeFi (Decentralized Finance) – Financial services (lending, trading, etc.) without banks, using blockchain.
- Smart Contract – Self-executing code on the blockchain that enforces agreements (mainly on Ethereum).
- Gas Fees – Transaction fees paid to process operations on blockchains like Ethereum.
- Mining – Using computing power to validate transactions (Proof of Work).
- Staking – Locking crypto to support a network (Proof of Stake) and earn rewards.
- NFT (Non-Fungible Token) – Unique digital assets (art, music, collectibles) stored on blockchain
Risk & Security Terms
- Rug Pull – When developers abandon a project and run off with investors’ money.
- DYOR (Do Your Own Research) – A reminder to investigate before investing.
- Cold Wallet – An offline wallet (like a USB device) for maximum security.
- Hot Wallet – An online wallet connected to the internet (convenient but riskier)