AI and blockchain, explained from the ground up.
Every term in a few sentences, with an example from the familiar world of finance and everyday life and one sentence to pass on. No tech jargon, no hype. Just search or browse.
- FundamentalsBasics
Altcoin
Altcoin is the umbrella term for every cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
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Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the first digital money that works without a bank and whose supply is capped at 21 million units.
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Block
A block is a bundle of confirmed transactions sealed with a fingerprint of the previous block.
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Blockchain
A blockchain is a shared ledger kept simultaneously by many computers that cannot be altered after the fact.
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Consensus (consensus mechanism)
The consensus mechanism is the rulebook by which thousands of computers agree, without a boss, on which entries are valid.
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Cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency is digital money whose bookkeeping is done by a blockchain instead of a bank.
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Decentralisation
Decentralisation means no single actor controls a system or can switch it off.
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Ethereum
Ethereum is the largest blockchain for programs (smart contracts); its currency unit is called Ether (ETH).
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Hash
A hash is a digital fingerprint: any data is turned into a fixed string that changes completely with the slightest alteration.
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Node (network node)
A node is a computer that keeps a full copy of the blockchain and checks every new transaction itself.
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Peer-to-peer (P2P)
Peer-to-peer means two participants deal directly with each other, with no intermediary in between.
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Private key & seed phrase
The private key is the password to your blockchain balance; the seed phrase is its backup in the form of 12 or 24 words.
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Smart contract
A smart contract is a program on the blockchain that executes an agreement automatically once the conditions are met.
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Transaction
A transaction is an entry in the blockchain that moves a balance from one address to another.
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Wallet
A wallet is your access to a balance on the blockchain: it does not hold the coins, it holds the key to them.
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Whitepaper
A whitepaper is the founding document of a blockchain project: it describes the problem, the solution, the technology and the token distribution.
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21 Oaks Capital GmbH acts as a tied agent exclusively for the account and under the liability of AHP Capital Management GmbH, Weißfrauenstraße 12-16, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This wiki is a general information service provided by 21 Oaks Capital GmbH. Its content does not constitute individual investment advice and is not a recommendation by AHP Capital Management GmbH. 21 Oaks Capital GmbH, its affiliated companies, the funds it advises or its employees may hold positions in assets explained in this wiki. The explanations are independent of this; the disclosure is made for reasons of transparency.