Glossary

Key terms used throughout Cypherpunk Code documentation and the broader cypherpunk education space.

A

Address — A string derived from a public key where Bitcoin or cryptocurrency can be sent. Bitcoin addresses are pseudonymous, not anonymous.

B

Block — A batch of validated transactions permanently recorded on the blockchain.

Blockchain — A chain of blocks, each cryptographically linked to the previous one, forming an immutable ledger.

C

CoinJoin — A privacy technique where multiple users combine their transactions to obscure the link between inputs and outputs.

CP Score — Cypherpunk Score. An editorial rating (1–10) measuring a resource's relevance to privacy, sovereignty, and cryptography.

Cypherpunk — An activist advocating for widespread use of strong cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies as a route to social and political change.

D

dApp — Decentralized application. Software that runs on a blockchain or uses blockchain infrastructure.

F

Full node — A program that fully validates all Bitcoin rules and all transactions. The strongest form of sovereignty.

Fungibility — The property of a currency where every unit is interchangeable. Bitcoin's transparency can harm fungibility.

G

Gamification — Adding game-like elements (badges, streaks, leaderboards) to education. Used carefully and opt-in on Cypherpunk Code.

H

HD wallet — Hierarchical Deterministic wallet. Generates all addresses from a single seed phrase.

K

KYC — Know Your Customer. Identity verification required by regulated exchanges. Antithetical to cypherpunk values.

M

Mempool — The pool of unconfirmed transactions waiting to be included in a block.

Monero — A privacy-focused cryptocurrency using ring signatures, stealth addresses, and RingCT.

N

Node — A computer running blockchain software that validates and relays transactions.

Nostr — Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays. A decentralized social protocol aligned with cypherpunk values.

O

OpSec — Operational Security. Practices to protect sensitive information and maintain privacy in daily operations.

P

P2P — Peer-to-peer. Direct communication between nodes without central intermediaries.

PWA — Progressive Web App. A web application that works offline and can be installed on mobile devices.

Proof-of-work — A consensus mechanism requiring computational effort to create new blocks.

S

Seed phrase — A human-readable backup of a wallet's private keys (typically 12 or 24 words).

Seeker — Solana's crypto-focused mobile device with integrated Seed Vault hardware security.

SegWit — Segregated Witness. A Bitcoin protocol upgrade that separates signature data from transaction data.

Self-custody — Holding your own private keys rather than trusting a third party (exchange, custodian).

Soulbound token (SBT) — A non-transferable onchain token representing identity, credentials, or achievements.

SPV — Simplified Payment Verification. A lightweight method to verify transactions without running a full node.

T

Taproot — A Bitcoin protocol upgrade enabling more private and efficient transactions.

Tor — The Onion Router. A network for anonymous communication.

U

UTXO — Unspent Transaction Output. The fundamental unit of Bitcoin ownership — outputs from previous transactions that have not yet been spent.

W

Wallet — Software or hardware that manages private keys and creates transactions.

Whitepaper — The original document describing a protocol. Bitcoin's whitepaper was published by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008.