24 terms / clearer investigations
Blockchain Research Glossary
Learn blockchain research terminology: addresses, transaction identifiers, token mints, contracts, UTXOs, gas, provenance and forensic inference.
- Address
- A public identifier used in a blockchain context. Its format and role depend on the network; the string alone does not verify a person’s identity.
Explore this concept → - Transaction identifier
- A reference used to locate a particular transaction. Preserve the complete value and network rather than an abbreviated screen display.
Explore this concept → - Solana signature
- A signature associated with a Solana transaction. Keep it distinct from the account addresses referenced inside the transaction.
Explore this concept → - Block
- A network-specific structure grouping or organizing ledger activity. Always retain the chain alongside a block number or hash.
Explore this concept → - Slot
- A Solana timing and scheduling concept used in ledger context. A slot reference should not be treated as a transaction signature.
Explore this concept → - Instruction
- A request within a Solana transaction that invokes a program. Inspect the relevant instruction before summarizing an effect.
Explore this concept → - Account role
- The technical role an account plays in a record, such as signer, program or token account. It is not a real-world ownership conclusion.
Explore this concept → - Token mint
- A Solana account identifying a token type. Distinguish the mint from token accounts holding quantities of that token.
Explore this concept → - Token contract
- A contract address associated with a token on a network such as Ethereum. Pair it with the chain to identify the selected asset.
Explore this concept → - Event log
- A record emitted during contract execution. Keep its emitting contract and relevant fields attached to your interpretation.
Explore this concept → - Gas
- Ethereum’s unit for computational work. Gas parameters, final fees and transferred asset quantities should not be combined without explanation.
Explore this concept → - UTXO
- An unspent transaction output in Bitcoin. Later inputs may reference and spend outputs from earlier transactions.
Explore this concept → - Outpoint
- A reference to a specific Bitcoin transaction output, identified by the transaction and output position.
Explore this concept → - Confirmation
- A network-specific description of a transaction’s ledger context or subsequent acceptance. Record the source and observation time.
Explore this concept → - Stablecoin
- An asset designed around a reference value, such as a currency. Identify its underlying network and contract or mint when researching a transfer.
Explore this concept → - Native / bridged token
- Different implementations of an asset can exist on a network. Document the exact identifier and mechanism rather than relying on a shared name.
Explore this concept → - Explorer
- An interface for inspecting blockchain records. Address, transaction, token and block views answer different research questions.
Explore this concept → - Indexer
- A system that organizes selected blockchain data for retrieval. Coverage and normalization choices should be disclosed by the provider.
Explore this concept → - RPC
- A remote procedure call interface used to request network data or other supported operations. Available methods and history depend on the network and provider.
Explore this concept → - Provenance
- The source and context of a record or claim: where it came from, when it was retrieved and what transformations were applied.
Explore this concept → - Attribution
- A claim connecting a technical identifier with a real-world entity. Its supporting evidence should be kept separate from the ledger observation.
Explore this concept → - Clustering
- Grouping records according to a stated rule. A visual grouping is not automatic proof of shared ownership.
Explore this concept → - Hypothesis
- A proposed explanation that goes beyond directly observed records. Label it and identify the evidence needed to test it.
Explore this concept → - Coverage
- The networks, record types, time intervals and data sources included in a tool or inquiry. An incomplete view should not be called a complete history.
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