Crypto Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll meet across Mavunta.
Compliance
Crypto
Altcoin
Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
Bitcoin
The first and best-known cryptocurrency, with a fixed supply of 21 million coins.
Blockchain
A shared, public ledger of transactions maintained by many computers at once.
DeFi
Decentralized Finance, financial apps that run on smart contracts without intermediaries.
Ethereum
A blockchain that runs smart contracts and powers most tokens and DeFi apps.
Fiat
Government money like the Kenyan Shilling or US dollar, as opposed to crypto.
Stablecoin
Crypto designed to hold a steady value, usually pegged to a currency like the US dollar.
USDC
A US-dollar stablecoin issued by Circle, designed to stay close to $1.
USDT
A US-dollar stablecoin (Tether) designed to stay close to $1; the most traded P2P asset.
Earn
P2P
Payments
Security
2FA
A second login step (a code from an app) so a stolen password alone is not enough.
Anti-phishing code
A personal phrase Coinwaka includes in genuine emails so you can spot fakes.
Phishing
Fake sites, emails, or messages that trick you into sharing logins or codes.
SIM swap
An attack that hijacks your phone number to intercept SMS codes. Use an authenticator app.
Transaction PIN
A separate code required to approve money-out actions like withdrawals and P2P release.
Stablecoins
Trading
Bear market
A period of generally falling prices and caution.
Bull market
A period of generally rising prices and optimism.
Dollar-cost averaging (DCA)
Buying a fixed amount on a schedule to smooth out price swings over time.
Leverage
Trading with borrowed funds to increase exposure. It magnifies both gains and losses.
Limit order
An order that only fills at a price you set, or better.
Liquidation
When a leveraged position is force-closed because losses use up its margin.
Liquidity
How easily an asset can be bought or sold without moving its price.
Market order
An order that fills immediately at the best available price.
Order book
The live list of open buy and sell orders for a trading pair.
Slippage
The difference between the expected price and the price your order actually fills at.
Spot trading
Buying or selling an asset for immediate settlement at the current price.
Spread
The difference between the buy price and the sell price.
Stop-loss
An order that sells automatically if the price falls to a level you set, capping losses.
Trading pair
Two assets traded against each other, e.g. BTC/USDT.
Volatility
How much and how fast a price moves. Crypto is highly volatile.
Trust
Wallets
Address
A unique string you send crypto to, like an account number for a specific network.
Confirmation
A block added on top of your transaction, making it harder to reverse. Exchanges wait for several.
Custodial wallet
A wallet where a platform safeguards your keys for you, with security and recovery.
ERC20
The token standard on the Ethereum network. Widely supported, fees vary with demand.
Gas fee
The fee paid to a blockchain network to process a transaction. Rises when the network is busy.
Memo
An extra identifier some networks (XRP, XLM, TON) need so a shared address knows the recipient.
Network fee
The cost paid to the blockchain (not the exchange) to send a transaction.
Non-custodial wallet
A wallet where you alone hold the keys, full control, full responsibility.
Private key
The secret that proves ownership of crypto and authorizes transfers. Never share it.
Seed phrase
A set of words that can restore a non-custodial wallet. Anyone with it controls the funds.
Tag
Another name for a memo, required by some networks to route a deposit correctly.
TRC20
The token standard on the TRON network, often the cheapest way to send USDT.
Wallet
Software that stores the keys controlling your crypto. Can be custodial or non-custodial.