The first cryptocurrency. Think of it like digital gold — there's a fixed amount that will ever exist, people trade it, and no single person or company controls it.
Bitcoin was created in 2009. It runs on its own blockchain and has a maximum supply of 21 million coins. It was the first proof that a currency could exist without a bank or government — just math and a network of computers agreeing on the rules.
Imagine a notebook that records every transaction ever made — and thousands of people have an identical copy. Nobody can secretly change their copy without everyone else noticing. That notebook is a blockchain.
Each "block" contains a batch of recent transactions. Each block is linked to the one before it using a code called a hash. If you change anything in an old block, it breaks the chain — and every computer on the network immediately knows something is wrong.
A website that lets you read a blockchain like a public record book. You can look up any wallet, any transaction, any block — all free, no account needed.
Think of it like a public library where the book is the entire history of every transaction on a blockchain. Block explorers are one of the most important DYOR tools because they let you verify claims without trusting anyone's word.
The rulebook for voting on the WIN Blockchain. DGF stands for Distributed Governance Framework. It decides what people can vote on and how those votes work.
Think of it like the constitution for the WIN Blockchain community. It defines which decisions require a vote, how many people need to vote for it to count, and how the result gets recorded. Node owners are the voters. The DGF means no single person — including Connect United's management — can unilaterally change how the network works.
Anything valuable that exists digitally and can be owned, transferred, or traded — but isn't physical. Crypto tokens, NFTs, and on-chain credentials are all digital assets.
The key property of a blockchain-based digital asset is that ownership is recorded on a public ledger no single company controls. Unlike loyalty points — which live in a company's database and can be taken away — a digital asset in your wallet belongs to whoever holds the private key.
The second-largest blockchain after Bitcoin. Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum was built to run programs — not just record payments. Most crypto tokens and NFTs live on Ethereum or blockchains that work like it.
Ethereum introduced "smart contracts" — self-executing programs that run on the blockchain with no middleman. This made it possible to build decentralized applications, issue tokens, and create NFTs. Because so many tools were built for Ethereum, many other blockchains were designed to be compatible with it.
EVM stands for Ethereum Virtual Machine. It's the engine that runs programs on Ethereum. Many other blockchains were built to run the same engine — so tools built for Ethereum work on them too.
Think of it like a power adapter standard. If a device is designed for the same plug format, you can use it anywhere that supports it. EVM-compatible blockchains get instant access to wallets, explorers, and developer tools already built for Ethereum — including MetaMask and Etherscan.
The process of making decisions about how something is run. In crypto, governance usually means token holders or node owners voting on changes to a blockchain network.
Most companies are governed top-down — a CEO makes decisions. Blockchain governance aims to distribute that power to the people who use and run the network. When it works well, no single person can change the rules without community agreement. When it's poorly designed, "governance" is just a word on a whitepaper with no actual voting happening.
The base-level blockchain — the foundation that everything else builds on. Bitcoin and Ethereum are Layer 1 networks. So is the WIN Blockchain.
Think of Layer 1 as the roads. Layer 2 networks are like express lanes built on top of those roads. A Layer-1 blockchain operates independently — it doesn't depend on another chain to exist. This matters for longevity and security: if Layer 1 works, the system works.
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. "Non-fungible" just means one-of-a-kind or uniquely owned. An NFT is a digital item recorded on a blockchain so only one person owns it at a time.
Most people know NFTs as digital art. But they can represent anything that benefits from verified ownership — a certificate, a credential, a ticket. The ownership record lives on a public blockchain, not in a company's database. Your NFT belongs to your wallet, not to the platform that issued it.
A computer that participates in keeping a blockchain running. Nodes talk to each other, share transaction records, and help make sure nobody cheats.
The more nodes a blockchain has, the harder it is to attack — because there's no single computer to target. On the WIN Blockchain, nodes must be actively online to earn rewards. An offline node earns nothing.
A list of 12 or 24 random words that is the master key to your crypto wallet. Anyone who has these words can access everything in your wallet. Treat it like a combination to a safe full of cash.
When you set up a crypto wallet, it generates a seed phrase. This is the only way to recover your wallet if you lose access — it is not stored anywhere by anyone. If you lose it, your wallet is gone. If someone else gets it, your wallet is theirs. Write it on paper. Store it offline. Never photograph it. Never type it into any site or app that asks for it — that is always a scam.
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. It's a computer you rent on the internet that runs 24/7, even when your personal computer is off. Used to keep blockchain nodes online continuously.
Think of it like renting a room in a data center. You get a slice of a powerful computer that's always on and connected. Many node operators use a VPS because a node that goes offline stops earning. You can manage one yourself if you're technical, or use a managed service.
A crypto wallet is an app or device that holds your private key — the password that proves you own your digital assets. It doesn't actually "hold" your crypto the way a physical wallet holds cash. Your crypto lives on the blockchain; your wallet just proves you own it.
Two types: custodial (a company holds your key — like a bank) and non-custodial (you hold your own key — full control, full responsibility). If you lose your seed phrase with a non-custodial wallet, there is no password reset.