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    [Glossary] Altcoins & Emerging Tokens Terms

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Altcoins & Emerging Tokens
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    • CryptoKasC Offline
      CryptoKas
      last edited by

      Below is a concise glossary of key terms you’ll encounter in Altcoins & Emerging Tokens discussions. Definitions are clear and practical—ideal for discovering and evaluating new projects.


      🔍 Token Classification

      • Altcoin: Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin; includes large projects (Ethereum) and small “low-cap” tokens.
      • Blue-Chip Altcoin: A well-established altcoin with large market cap and proven utility (e.g., ETH, BNB).
      • Small-Cap / Low-Cap Token: Projects with smaller market capitalization—higher risk but potentially higher returns.
      • Micro-Cap Token: Extremely low market cap projects, often pre-launch or with very few holders.

      📊 Fundamental Metrics

      • Market Cap: Current price × circulating supply; ranks project size.
      • Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV): Current price × max supply; theoretical total value if all tokens are in circulation.
      • Circulating Supply: Number of tokens available and trading on the market.
      • Max Supply: Hard cap on the total tokens that will ever exist.
      • Total Supply: Tokens currently minted, including ones locked or reserved.

      📝 Project Documentation

      • Whitepaper: Detailed project blueprint explaining problem, solution, tech stack, tokenomics and roadmap.
      • Litepaper: A shorter, high-level summary for quick understanding.
      • Roadmap: Timeline of planned features, milestones and launches.
      • Audit Report: Security firm’s review of the project’s smart contracts and code.

      🚀 Token Launch Formats

      • ICO (Initial Coin Offering): Public sale of tokens to raise capital.
      • IDO (Initial DEX Offering): Token sale on a decentralized exchange with instant liquidity.
      • IEO (Initial Exchange Offering): Exchange-backed token sale with KYC and listing guarantee.
      • Fair Launch: No pre-sale or private sale; tokens distributed evenly (e.g., via mining or public mint).
      • Airdrop: Free token distribution to holders of another token or participants in an event.

      💡 Tokenomics & Incentives

      • Emission Schedule: Timeline and rate at which new tokens are minted or released.
      • Vesting Schedule: Lock-up period for team/advisor tokens—prevents immediate sell-offs.
      • Inflationary Token: Continuously issues new tokens over time, increasing supply.
      • Deflationary Token: Burns or locks tokens regularly to reduce supply (e.g., via buy-back & burn).
      • Utility Token: Provides access to a service or feature within a network (e.g., gas for transactions).
      • Governance Token: Grants voting rights on protocol changes and treasury allocation.

      🔗 Community & Growth

      • Social Metrics: Followers, engagement, and sentiment on Twitter, Discord, Telegram—gauges community health.
      • Developer Activity: Commits, pull requests, and releases on GitHub—indicates ongoing development.
      • Partnership Announcement: Collaboration with other projects or firms—often boosts credibility.
      • Exchange Listing: When a token becomes available on CEX/DEX—can drive liquidity and price discovery.

      ⚠️ Risk Factors

      • Rug Pull: Malicious exit scam where developers drain liquidity and vanish.
      • Pump & Dump: Coordinated hype to inflate price then sell off, leaving late buyers at a loss.
      • Liquidity Lock: Staking LP tokens in a time-locked contract to prevent rug pulls.
      • Audit Risk: Absence of a reputable audit increases vulnerability to exploits.
      • Token Concentration: High percentage of tokens held by few addresses—can lead to price manipulation.

      Pin this thread as your go-to reference for exploring altcoins and new tokens. Spot any missing terms or need deeper examples? Drop a comment below!

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