Crypto glossary
Plain explanations of market cap, liquidity, volatility, dominance and more.
Crypto has its own language — and without it, it's easy to make a bad decision. Below are the key terms you'll meet on every exchange and in every analysis. Zero jargon, just essentials.
Terms you must know
- Market CapTrue size of a project
- Price × coins in circulation. The real measure of a project's size — not the token price. A coin at $0.001 can have a bigger market cap than a coin at $500.
- LiquidityHow easily you can trade
- How easily you can buy or sell without moving the price. Low liquidity = high risk. You may not find a buyer when you want to exit.
- VolatilityScale of price swings
- How much and how fast the price moves. Bitcoin gaining or losing 10% in a day — normal. In traditional finance, that would be a crisis.
- DominanceBTC share of the market
- Bitcoin's share of the entire crypto market. High BTC dominance = market is conservative. Low = capital flows into altcoins (the 'altseason').
- Bull / Bear MarketMarket cycle
- Bull market = uptrend, optimism, new investors enter. Bear market = downtrend, fear, weak hands sell. Know the cycle, don't panic.
- WhalePlayer who moves the market
- A trader with so much capital that their moves shake the market. One whale transfer can change the price by several percent.
- FOMO / FUDEnemies of good decisions
- FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) — you buy because everyone buys. FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) — you sell because everyone is scared. Both are the enemy of a good decision.
- ATH / ATLHistorical extremes
- All-Time High / All-Time Low — the historical maximum and minimum price of an asset.
Educational content. Not financial advice.