Banking and Crypto Terms and Definitions

Account to Account (A2A) payments, those made directly between two bank accounts using payment networks like the Automated Clearing House (ACH) and Real-Time Payments (RTP)

ACH is the electronic payment network that processes bank-to-bank transfers in the United States, handling over 33.6 billion payments worth $86.2 trillion annually.

A set of laws, regulations, and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income.

The annual rate charged for borrowing or earning through an investment, which includes all fees and costs associated with the transaction.

A metric for subscription-based companies or those with recurring revenue models, measuring the predictable and recurring revenue components of the annual subscriptions.

An affluent individual who provides capital for a business startup, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity.

Also known as a SWIFT code, a BIC Code is a standard format of Business Identifier Codes approved by the International Organization for Standardization. It's used globally to identify banks and financial institutions in international transactions, ensuring secure and efficient processing.

A document or electronic record provided by a bank, detailing the transactions in a customer's account over a specific period. It lists deposits, withdrawals, fees, and interest earned, serving as a tool for account holders to monitor their finances and verify account activity.

An end-to-end process that allows fintech companies and other third parties to connect with banks' systems directly via APIs to provide banking services. BaaS platforms enable businesses to offer financial services without the need to build and maintain their own banking infrastructure.

The first decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network.

A digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain.

A self-funding approach where a startup operates without external investment, relying on the founders' personal capital and revenue generated by the business.

The rate at which a new company spends its venture capital to finance overhead before generating positive cash flow from operations.

The cost associated with acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses. It's crucial for understanding the value of a customer and for optimizing marketing strategies.

The Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS) is a high-value, same-day payment system used in the UK for large transactions.

A spreadsheet or table that shows the equity capitalization for a company, including the total market value of equity securities.

A digital form of fiat money issued and regulated by the nation's central bank.

The percentage of customers or subscribers who cancel or do not renew their subscriptions during a given time period. A critical metric for assessing customer retention and product/service satisfaction.

A type of loan where cryptocurrency assets are used as collateral to secure borrowing. In a collateralized crypto loan, borrowers pledge their crypto holdings in exchange for fiat or stablecoins, allowing them to access liquidity without selling their assets. If the borrower defaults or the collateral value drops significantly, the lender can liquidate the crypto to cover the loan, reducing the lender's risk.

Adhering to laws and regulations within the industry, including those related to financial transactions, data security, and consumer protection.

A digital or virtual form of currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central bank.

A platform where individuals can buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrencies.

An umbrella term for various financial applications that uses cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

Borrowing funds that must be repaid over time, with interest, used for immediate capital needs without diluting ownership.

An organization represented by rules encoded as a computer program that is transparent, controlled by the organization members, and not influenced by a central government.

A financial security with a value that is reliant upon or derived from an underlying asset or group of assets.

An Electronic Money Institution (EMI) is a financial entity that provides electronic money services, enabling users to store, transfer, and manage funds digitally.

A method of raising capital through the collective effort of friends, family, customers, and individual investors, typically via online platforms.

Raising capital through the sale of shares in the company, providing investors ownership interests.

Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that enables the creation and execution of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps).

Explore how Fedwire powers real-time, high-value U.S. payments. Learn about its speed, security, costs, 2025 ISO 20022 update, and how it differs from ACH and other wire transfers.

Currency that a government has declared to be legal tender, but it is not backed by a physical commodity.

Short for financial technology, it refers to new tech that seeks to improve and automate the delivery and use of financial services.

An investment fund that pools capital from accredited individuals or institutional investors and invests in a variety of assets, often with complex portfolio-construction and risk management techniques.

Legal rights to inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, and images used in commerce, crucial for protecting a startup's innovations and brand.

The amount a lender charges for the use of assets expressed as a percentage of the principal.

A verification process that involves validating the legitimacy and integrity of business clients and partners. Similar to KYC (Know Your Customer), KYB is crucial for assessing the risk profile of businesses, ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, and preventing fraud.

The process of a business verifying the identity of its clients, typically as a part of banking and financial regulations.

The total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout the business relationship. It helps companies in decision-making regarding sales, marketing, product development, and customer support.

A financial metric that compares the size of a loan to the value of the asset being used as collateral, expressed as a percentage. Lenders use the LTV ratio to assess risk—the higher the LTV, the riskier the loan.

The most basic version of a product that can be released to early customers to validate a business concept.

A demand from a broker or lender for a borrower to deposit additional funds or securities to restore the minimum margin requirement in a margin account. Margin calls occur when the value of the collateral (such as securities or crypto assets) falls below a certain threshold, exposing the lender to higher risk. Failure to meet a margin call may result in the liquidation of the borrower's positions to cover the shortfall.

An investment vehicle made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other assets.

Unique digital assets that represent internet collectibles like art, music, and games with an authentic certificate created by blockchain technology.

OTC stands for Over-the-Counter, referring to markets where trading occurs directly between parties, without the oversight of a centralized exchange.

A strategic shift in business model or product offering, often based on feedback or market research, to better align with market needs or opportunities.

The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand. It's a key indicator of an early-stage company's potential for success and is often used to guide product development and marketing strategies.

A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or compare the efficiency of a number of different investments.

Re-staking is the latest trend for Ethereum holders. It’s a strategy that allows investors to leverage their staked Ethereum to secure additional blockchain protocols, effectively putting their assets to work twice.

The amount of time a company can continue to operate until it runs out of cash. Calculated by dividing current cash balances by the burn rate, it's crucial for financial planning and fundraising strategies.

Stages of startup financing that provide growth capital, typically moving from early investment to more substantial rounds as the company matures.

The segment of the TAM targeted by your products or services which is within your geographical reach.

The portion of SAM that you can capture, considering current competition, product, and market limitations.

SWIFT is crucial for international financial transactions, providing a standardized system for financial transactions and a secure communication mechanism between institutions across different countries.

Tradable financial assets such as bonds, stocks, or any financial instrument that holds some type of monetary value.

The initial funding that enables nascent startups to take their first concrete steps. That's the essence of seed capital.

Stages of startup financing that provide growth capital, typically moving from early investment to more substantial rounds as the company matures.

A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code.

Solana is a high-performance, open-source blockchain platform designed to support decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts at speeds comparable to traditional financial systems.

At its core, a stablecoin is a cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value relative to a specific asset, typically a fiat currency like the US dollar.

The overall revenue opportunity available for a product or service, identifying the maximum market size that a business can potentially reach.

An event in which a new cryptocurrency project sells part of its cryptocurrency tokens to early adopters and enthusiasts in exchange for funding.

The study of the economics of cryptocurrencies or tokens, including factors like distribution, supply, and demand dynamics.

USDC is a fully collateralized stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. This means that for every USDC in circulation, a corresponding US dollar is held in reserve in regulated financial institutions.

USDT is a stablecoin designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the US dollar. This means that each USDT token is intended to represent one US dollar.

A form of private equity and a type of financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential.

A type of debt financing provided to venture-backed companies by specialized banks or non-bank lenders.

A digital version of a traditional debit card that exists entirely in an electronic form, without a physical counterpart. Virtual debit cards are used for online transactions, providing a secure and convenient payment method.

A device or program that allows you to store, transfer, and receive digital currency.

The measure of a company's operational liquidity, calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. It represents the funds available to a business for day-to-day operations and short-term financial obligations.