Aragon: A platform for creating and managing DAOs, providing tools for governance, fundraising, and operations.
Asynchronous: Not occurring at the same time. In the context of this course, it refers to learning that can take place at any time, without the need for real-time interaction.

Bitcoin: The first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Blockchain: A distributed ledger technology that records transactions in a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof manner.
Block: A collection of transactions grouped together and added to the blockchain.

Consensus Mechanism: A set of rules that allow a distributed network of nodes to reach agreement on a single version of the truth.
Cryptocurrency: A digital currency that uses cryptography for security.
Cryptography: The practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversaries.

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization): An organization that is governed by rules encoded as computer programs called smart contracts and operates without centralized control.
DApp (Decentralized Application): An application that runs on a decentralized network, such as a blockchain.
Decentralization: The distribution of power or control away from a central authority.
Digital Signature: A cryptographic technique used to verify the authenticity of a digital message or document.
Distributed Ledger: A database that is shared and synchronized across multiple participants in a network.

ERC-20: A technical standard used for creating and issuing fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.
ERC-721: A technical standard used for creating and issuing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain.
Ethereum: A blockchain platform that supports smart contracts and decentralized applications.

Fungible Token: A token that is interchangeable with other tokens of the same type. For example, one Bitcoin is interchangeable with another Bitcoin.
Futarchy: A governance system where decisions are made based on predictions of their future outcomes.

Gas Fees: Transaction fees paid to miners or validators on a blockchain network to process transactions.
Governance: The process of making decisions and managing an organization.
Governance Token: A token that grants voting rights in a DAO's governance process.

Hash: A unique, fixed-length string of characters that represents a piece of data.
Holacracy: A system of self-organization where authority is distributed among roles rather than individuals.
Hyperledger Fabric: An enterprise-grade blockchain platform that is permissioned and designed for business use cases.

Immutability: The property of being unable to be altered or changed.
Interoperability: The ability of different systems or platforms to work together.

Layer-2 Scaling Solution: A technology that improves the scalability of a blockchain network by processing transactions off-chain.

Multi-Signature Wallet: A cryptocurrency wallet that requires multiple signatures to authorize transactions.

NFT (Non-Fungible Token): A unique and non-interchangeable token that represents ownership of a digital or physical asset.
Node: A computer that participates in a blockchain network.

Off-Chain Governance: Decision-making processes that occur outside of the blockchain.
On-Chain Governance: Decision-making processes that occur directly on the blockchain.
Oracle: An external data source that provides information to a smart contract.

Permissioned Blockchain: A blockchain network where participants need permission to join and access the network.
Polkadot: A blockchain platform that enables interoperability between different blockchains.
Proof-of-Authority (PoA): A consensus mechanism where a select number of trusted nodes validate transactions.
Proof-of-History (PoH): A consensus mechanism that uses a verifiable delay function to create a historical record of events.
Proof-of-Stake (PoS): A consensus mechanism where validators stake cryptocurrency to participate in block creation.
Proof-of-Work (PoW): A consensus mechanism where miners solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions.
Public Blockchain: A blockchain network that is open to anyone and does not require permission to join.

Quadratic Voting: A voting system that gives more weight to smaller token holders.

R3 Corda: A blockchain platform designed for financial applications and interoperability with existing systems.
Remix IDE: An online development environment for creating and testing smart contracts.

Scalability: The ability of a system to handle a growing amount of work or users.
Security Token: A token that represents ownership in an asset or company and may provide rights to dividends or other financial benefits.
Sharding: A technique for improving blockchain scalability by dividing the network into smaller shards.
Smart Contract: A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement directly written into code.
Solidity: A programming language used to write smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
Solana: A high-performance blockchain platform that is known for its fast transaction speeds and low fees.
Snapshot: A platform for off-chain voting in DAOs.
Stablecoin: A cryptocurrency that is pegged to the value of a stable asset, such as the US dollar.
Substrate: A framework for building custom blockchains that are interoperable with Polkadot.

Token: A digital asset that represents a unit of value or ownership on a blockchain.
Tokenomics: The study of the economics of tokens within a blockchain ecosystem.
Transparency: The property of being open and accountable.

Uniswap: A decentralized exchange that uses smart contracts to facilitate token swaps.
Utility Token: A token that provides access to specific services or functionalities within a DAO or platform.

Validator: A node that participates in the consensus process on a Proof-of-Stake blockchain.

Zero-Knowledge Proof: A cryptographic technique that allows one party to prove to another party that they possess certain information without revealing the information itself.

Glossary of Terms