Crypto glossary
This crypto glossary explains the key terms around cryptocurrency, blockchain, transaction investigation, fraud and evidence in plain language.For everyone who deals with this: men and women, private individuals and entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, next of kin and curious readers. Here you will find, in plain language, what each term means, with a practical example. Whether you are just starting out or have been at it for a while, we are glad to make it clear.
How to use this crypto glossary
The entries in this crypto glossary are written in a fixed order, and that order is deliberate. Each term starts with what it means, then what it may indicate in a concrete situation, and finally how it is recorded when a finding has to hold up for a bank, an authority or a court. That last part is what usually decides whether a term is of any use to you. Knowing that a mixer breaks a direct link matters far less than knowing what can still be said about a route that runs through one.
Terms are grouped by the question they belong to rather than alphabetically, because that is how they come up in practice. Someone who has lost money starts with tracing and cash-out points, an accountant starts with valuation and origin, and a lawyer starts with evidential value. You can therefore read a whole category and end up with a coherent picture, or look up a single term you ran into in a statement or a report. Where two terms are easy to confuse, the entry says so explicitly.
One warning belongs in a crypto glossary as well. Plain definitions can make a technical field look more certain than it is. On a blockchain a great deal is visible, but almost nothing is self-explanatory: an address is not a person, a pattern is not proof of intent, and a stopped route is not always the end of a story. Every entry here tries to mark that boundary rather than hide it.
Questions about the glossary
What do you use this glossary for?
To look up a term you come across in a report, a police statement or a conversation with your bank. Each page gives a short description and the meaning of the term in the context of an investigation.
How is the glossary organised?
In six categories, from tracing transactions to investigation and evidence. There is also an alphabetical overview, so you can find a term without knowing its category.
Are these legal definitions?
No. They are working descriptions of how the terms are used in blockchain investigation. For a legal qualification a lawyer is the right source.
Your own situation
If you are reading this, you probably have a question about your own situation. That is exactly what Paucitas does.
The first step is contact by phone. We prefer to schedule that call through WhatsApp, so you do not have to wait. In the call we look together at what can factually be established in your case and what Paucitas can examine for you.