Keep the terminology clear
Digital asset glossary
Fourteen starting-point definitions. Use the linked guides for context, evidence, and the limits of each explanation.
- Asset and wrapper
- The underlying item or exposure is different from the arrangement used to hold it. A fund interest, an exchange-traded security, and directly controlled tokens require different ownership explanations.
- Benchmark
- A specified reference used in an investment objective or comparison. Identify what it measures, its calculation method, and the time period before deciding whether a comparison answers the research question.
- Custody
- The control, safekeeping, recordkeeping, and authorization arrangements surrounding an asset or claim. Explain the actual parties and permissions rather than relying on a generic statement that assets are secure.
- Delegation
- In the Solana staking context, assigning stake to a validator for participation in the network’s staking mechanism. Investigate the authorities, commissions, and exit process for the specific arrangement.
- Dependency
- A component that must work for a process or claim to work as described. Networks, administrators, collateral, data sources, and exit venues can create shared dependencies across different positions.
- Diversification
- Spreading exposure rather than relying on one concentrated source of outcomes. A large number of names or tokens is not, by itself, evidence that their important risks are independent.
- DNS domain
- A name within the Domain Name System. Research the exact registration, registrar, control arrangements, and recurring obligations. A conventional domain name is not automatically an on-chain asset.
- ETF and ETP
- Exchange-traded fund and exchange-traded product are labels that require a more precise structural explanation. Read the holdings, legal form, jurisdiction, and product documents instead of assuming all exchange-traded exposure works alike.
- Liquid staking receipt
- A tokenized representation associated with a staking arrangement. The receipt, the underlying stake, and the holder’s ability to exit are separate research subjects; a tradeable receipt adds questions of pricing and control.
- Liquidity
- The practical ability to turn a position into the asset or currency needed, at the relevant time and terms. A displayed valuation should not be treated as immediately available sale proceeds.
- Renewal cost
- The charge and obligation associated with keeping a registration for another period. Model the terms for the exact name and holding period rather than extending a promotional first-year price indefinitely.
- Spread
- The difference between buying and selling quotations in a stated context. Treat the size, timing, and execution assumptions separately from other charges when comparing all-in ownership costs.
- Token utility
- The documented function a token serves within a product or arrangement. A useful product does not, by itself, establish the economic value of every associated token or investment claim.
- Valuation
- An estimate of value produced with stated evidence and assumptions. Keep estimates, asking prices, acquisition costs, and completed transaction proceeds in separate fields.
A better starting point
Good research starts
with better questions.
Build your understanding of the structure, the evidence, and the risks—one guide at a time.