Blockchain Terms
Plain-language definitions of the blockchain terms you are most likely to meet while using Cognivo. For terms specific to the Cognivo platform, see the Cognivo-Specific Terms page.
Address
An address is a unique identifier for an account on a blockchain, usually shown as a long string of letters and numbers. Funds and tokens are sent to and from addresses. An address is public - anyone can look up its activity - but it does not reveal who owns it.
Block
A block is a batch of transactions recorded together on a blockchain. Blocks are added one after another in order, each building on the one before it, which is what forms the "chain." A transaction is confirmed once it is included in a block.
Bridge
A bridge is a service that moves assets from one blockchain to another - for example, moving a token from one network to another. Bridges are shared infrastructure used by many people, so activity through a bridge is not tied to a single owner.
CEX (Centralized Exchange)
A CEX is a company-run platform where people buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency, holding funds on their customers' behalf. Because a CEX pools many customers' funds into shared addresses, an address belonging to a CEX represents the exchange, not an individual user.
Contract (Smart Contract)
A smart contract is a program stored on a blockchain that runs automatically when the conditions written into it are met. Contracts power things like token swaps, lending, and token issuance. A contract has its own address, but unlike a personal wallet it holds code rather than belonging to a single person.
DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
A DEX is an exchange that runs entirely through smart contracts rather than a company. Users trade directly from their own wallets, without handing funds to a middleman. Trades on a DEX are often carried out through a shared router contract that processes swaps for many users.
ERC-20
ERC-20 is a common standard that defines how a token behaves - how it is transferred, and how balances are tracked. Most tokens you encounter follow the ERC-20 standard, which lets wallets and applications support them in a consistent way.
Gas
Gas is the fee paid to have a transaction processed and recorded on a blockchain. The fee is paid in the network's native currency and rises or falls with how busy the network is. A transaction that runs out of gas fails and is not completed.
Hash
A hash is a fixed-length string produced from data, used as its unique fingerprint. A transaction hash is the unique identifier for a single transaction - you can use it to look that exact transaction up and confirm its details.
Mixer
A mixer is a service that pools funds from many sources and mixes them together to make it harder to trace where money came from or went. Because a mixer deliberately breaks the link between sender and receiver, funds that pass through one are difficult to follow further.
On-Chain
On-chain describes anything recorded directly on a blockchain, such as a transaction, a token transfer, or a contract interaction. On-chain data is public and verifiable by anyone. Cognivo treats on-chain data as the authoritative basis for the facts in an answer.
Token
A token is a unit of value issued on a blockchain, such as a coin used within a project or application. Tokens are usually created and managed by a smart contract and can be held in a wallet, transferred, and traded.
Transaction
A transaction is a single recorded action on a blockchain, such as sending funds, transferring a token, or interacting with a contract. Each transaction has a unique hash and, once included in a block, becomes a permanent public record.
Wallet
A wallet is an account on a blockchain, controlled by whoever holds its private key, used to hold and move funds and tokens. In everyday use, "wallet" also refers to the app you use to manage that account and approve transactions. A personal wallet is controlled by an individual, unlike shared infrastructure such as exchanges, bridges, and routers.