Glossary · 273 terms
Speak the language of Solana.
Every important Solana term, defined clearly. Search by name, filter by topic, or jump by letter.
A
11 termsAccount
developerThe unit of state on Solana — every piece of on-chain data lives in an account.
Accounts
fundamentalsThe storage primitive on Solana — every piece of state lives in an account.
Accounts Model
developerHow Solana separates code (programs) from state (accounts).
Activating Stake
stakingThe cooldown period before stake starts earning rewards.
Airdrops
tokensFree token distributions to qualifying wallets.
AMM
defiAn automated market maker — a smart-contract-driven exchange.
Anchor
developerA high-level framework for writing Solana programs in Rust.
Anchor Framework
developerRust framework that simplifies Solana program development.
API Providers
infrastructureVendors like Helius and QuickNode that host RPCs.
Archival Data
infrastructureHistorical chain data beyond recent slots.
Associated Token Accounts
developerDeterministic per-user token account addresses.
B
10 termsBackpack Wallet
walletsMultichain wallet built around xNFTs and Solana-native UX.
Block Explorers
infrastructureTools like Solscan and Solana Explorer.
Blockhash
fundamentalsRecent block reference attached to every transaction.
Blocks
fundamentalsBundles of transactions produced by leader validators each slot.
Borrowing
defiTaking loans against on-chain collateral.
Bridge Risk
securityWhy cross-chain bridges are common attack targets.
Bridges
infrastructureProtocols that move assets between chains.
Bundles
infrastructureAtomic groups of transactions submitted via Jito.
Burner Wallets
walletsThrowaway wallets for risky interactions.
Burning Tokens
tokensPermanently removing tokens from supply.
C
22 termsCandy Machine
nftsMetaplex tooling for fair NFT mints.
Checkout Flows
paymentsDesigning wallet-friendly checkout UX.
Cluster Health
validatorsNetwork-wide metrics about validator participation.
Cold Storage
walletsKeeping keys completely offline for maximum safety.
Collateral
defiAssets locked to back a loan.
Collections
nftsVerified groups of related NFTs.
Commission
stakingThe percentage of staking rewards a validator keeps.
Community Governance
governanceGovernance of communities and grants.
Composability
defiStacking protocols together like financial Lego.
Compound Staking
stakingRe-staking rewards to grow your stake automatically.
Compressed NFT
nftsAn NFT stored in a Merkle tree — orders of magnitude cheaper to mint.
Compressed NFTs
nftsCheap, scalable NFTs using Merkle tree compression.
Compression
infrastructureTechniques like cNFTs that lower storage costs.
Compute budget
developerThe maximum compute units a transaction can consume.
Compute Optimization
developerReducing compute units to fit the budget.
Compute Units
infrastructureThe unit budget that limits each transaction.
Consensus Participation
validatorsHow validators contribute to Tower BFT consensus.
Consumer Payments
paymentsEveryday in-app and in-store payment use cases.
CPI (Cross-Program Invocation)
developerA program calling another program inside the same transaction.
Creators
nftsWallets credited as the original artists of an NFT.
Cross-border Payments
paymentsSending money internationally with low fees.
Cross-program Invocation
developerHow programs call other programs safely.
D
16 termsDAO Basics
governanceDecentralized autonomous organizations explained.
Dashboard Design
analyticsBuilding useful onchain dashboards.
Data Availability
infrastructureGuarantees that block data can be retrieved.
Deactivating Stake
stakingThe cooldown before stake becomes withdrawable.
Decimals
tokensPrecision a token supports for fractional amounts.
DeFi Security
defiProtecting yourself from smart-contract risk.
Degen Risk
securityRisks specific to high-leverage and memecoin trading.
Degen Strategies
defiHigh-risk, high-reward DeFi tactics.
Delegated Governance
governanceDelegating votes to trusted representatives.
Delegation
stakingPointing your stake at a validator without giving up custody.
Delegation Strategy
stakingHow to spread stake for security and decentralization.
Delinquent Validators
validatorsValidators that fall behind and miss votes.
Deploying Programs
developerPushing your program binary to a cluster.
Developer Overview
developerWhere to start building on Solana as an engineer.
Devnet
developerSolana's developer cluster for testing dapps.
Discord Scams
securityCommon scams targeting users in Discord servers.
E
5 termsEntity Tagging
analyticsLabeling addresses with known identities.
Epoch
fundamentalsA fixed window of slots — roughly two days on mainnet.
Epoch Rewards
stakingHow rewards are calculated and paid every epoch.
Epochs
fundamentalsGroups of slots used for staking, rewards, and leader scheduling.
Exploit Tracking
analyticsFollowing hacks across the chain.
F
5 termsFake Airdrops
securityScam tokens sent to lure you into malicious sites.
Fees
fundamentalsTiny SOL amounts paid per transaction — a fraction of a cent on Solana.
Finality
fundamentalsWhen a transaction is irreversible from a network perspective.
Freeze Authority
tokensAddress that can freeze token accounts.
Fungible Tokens
tokensTokens where every unit is identical.
G
6 termsGaming NFTs
nftsNFTs that represent in-game assets.
Gossip Protocol
infrastructureHow validators share metadata across the network.
Governance Overview
governanceHow decisions are made in on-chain communities.
Governance Tokens
tokensTokens that grant voting power in a protocol.
Governance Tokens
governanceTokens that grant voting power in a protocol.
Gulf Stream
fundamentalsMempool-less transaction forwarding to upcoming leaders.
H
5 termsHardware Wallet Safety
securityBest practices for using hardware wallets.
Hardware Wallets
walletsCold storage devices like Ledger that keep keys offline.
Holder Analysis
analyticsHow tokens are distributed across wallets.
HOW Solana Works
fundamentalsA guided tour of how transactions, validators, and consensus produce Solana's throughput.
HOW Staking Works
stakingHow delegation, epochs, and rewards combine into staking yield.
I
8 termsIdentity Accounts
validatorsValidator identity keys that sign blocks.
IDL
developerInterface description used by clients to call your program.
Impermanent Loss
defiLP loss from price divergence between paired assets.
Indexers
infrastructureServices that organize chain data for fast queries.
Inflation Rewards
stakingSOL issuance distributed to stakers each epoch.
Instruction
developerA single call to a program inside a transaction.
Instructions
developerThe atomic units that make up a Solana transaction.
Invoice Flows
paymentsGenerating and settling invoices on-chain.
J
2 termsK
1 termL
13 termsLamport
fundamentalsThe smallest unit of SOL — 1 SOL = 1,000,000,000 lamports.
Latency
fundamentalsTime from submission to confirmation.
Leader Rotation
validatorsHow leadership cycles between validators each slot.
Leader Schedule
fundamentalsPre-computed sequence of which validator produces each slot.
Lending
defiSupplying assets to earn interest from borrowers.
Liquid Staking
stakingStake SOL and receive a tradeable token (mSOL, jitoSOL).
Liquidation
defiForced repayment when collateral falls too low.
Liquidity Analysis
analyticsMeasuring depth across pools and venues.
Liquidity pool
defiA pair of token reserves that backs an AMM market.
Liquidity Pools
defiToken pools that power on-chain trading.
Local Validator
developerRunning a Solana node locally for development.
Logs
developerProgram log messages emitted during execution.
LP Tokens
defiTokens representing your share of a liquidity pool.
M
16 termsMalicious Approvals
securityDangerous token approvals you should revoke.
Memecoins
tokensCommunity-driven tokens often without intrinsic utility.
Merchant Flows
paymentsHow merchants accept Solana payments.
Metadata Accounts
nftsAccounts holding NFT name, image, and attributes.
Metaplex
nftsThe standard suite of programs for NFTs and digital assets on Solana.
MEV
validatorsValue extracted from transaction ordering within a block.
MEV ON Solana
infrastructureExtractable value from transaction ordering.
Micropayments
paymentsSmall payments enabled by Solana's low fees.
Mint
tokensThe account that defines a token — its supply, decimals, and authorities.
Mint Authority
tokensAddress allowed to create new units of a token.
Minting NFTs
nftsCreating new NFTs on-chain.
Minting Supply
tokensIssuing new units of a token from the mint.
Mobile Wallets
walletsWallets that run on iOS and Android with deep-link signing.
Money Markets
defiPooled lending and borrowing protocols.
Multisig Security
securityUsing multiple signers to harden treasuries.
Multisig Wallets
walletsWallets that require multiple signers to approve actions.
N
8 termsNative Staking
stakingDirect on-chain staking without an intermediary token.
Network Congestion
infrastructureWhen demand exceeds Solana's throughput.
Network Metrics
analyticsTPS, fees, MEV, and other macro metrics.
NFT Marketplaces
nftsPlatforms like Magic Eden and Tensor.
NFT Risks
nftsWash trading, fake mints, and royalty disputes.
NFT Scam Checklist
securityQuick checks before minting or buying an NFT.
NFT Storage
nftsHow NFT images and metadata are stored.
NFT Utility
nftsFunctional benefits attached to owning an NFT.
O
5 termsOnchain Analytics
analyticsReading the chain to understand user behavior.
Opsec
securityOperational security for crypto users.
Oracle
infrastructureA service that brings off-chain data on-chain — most commonly prices.
Oracle Risk
defiRisks from compromised or stale price feeds.
Oracles
infrastructureServices that bring off-chain data on-chain.
P
20 termsParallel Execution
fundamentalsRunning non-conflicting transactions in parallel for throughput.
Payments ON Solana
paymentsWhy Solana is well-suited for global payments.
PDA (Program Derived Address)
developerAn address derived from a program — the program can sign for it.
Performance Metrics
validatorsSkip rate, vote credits, and uptime metrics.
Perpetuals
defiLeveraged derivatives without an expiry.
Phantom Wallet
walletsPopular browser and mobile wallet for Solana users.
Phishing
securityTricking a user into revealing keys or signing a malicious transaction.
Point OF Sale
paymentsIn-person Solana payment terminals.
Price Impact
analyticsHow trade size moves the market price.
Priority fee
transactionsAn optional per-compute-unit fee that boosts a transaction's likelihood of inclusion.
Priority Fees
fundamentalsOptional fees that bid for inclusion during high-demand periods.
Priority Fees Market
infrastructureHow priority fees clear during congestion.
Private KEY
walletsThe secret key that signs your transactions.
Program
developerOn-chain executable code — Solana's equivalent of a smart contract.
Program Audits
developerThird-party reviews of program code.
Program Derived Addresses
developerDeterministic addresses programs can sign for.
Proof of History
fundamentalsA verifiable, sequential clock used to order events on Solana.
Proposal Lifecycle
governanceDrafting, voting, and executing a proposal.
Protocol Governance
governanceDecisions over protocol parameters.
Public KEY
walletsYour wallet address — safe to share for receiving funds.
Q
1 termR
17 termsReal Yield
defiYield backed by actual protocol revenue.
Realms
governanceSolana's flagship DAO governance platform.
Receiving SOL
walletsHow to receive SOL using your public address.
Recurring Payments
paymentsSubscription-style payments on-chain.
Relays
infrastructureServices that forward bundles to leaders.
Rent
developerThe minimum SOL an account must hold to remain on-chain.
Restaking Concepts
stakingReusing staked capital to secure additional services.
Risk Analysis
analyticsScoring tokens, wallets, and protocols by risk.
Royalties
nftsCreator earnings on secondary sales.
RPC
infrastructureA node endpoint that serves blockchain queries and submits transactions.
RPC Methods
developerJSON-RPC methods clients use to read and submit txs.
RPC Nodes
infrastructureServers that apps use to read and write the chain.
RPC Trust Risk
securityWhy a malicious RPC can lie to your wallet.
RPC VS Validator
validatorsDifference between consensus validators and RPC servers.
RUG Pulls
securityProject teams abandoning users and stealing liquidity.
Running A Validator
validatorsWhat it takes to operate a Solana validator node.
Rust FOR Solana
developerUsing Rust to write performant Solana programs.
S
39 termsSealevel
fundamentalsSolana's parallel smart-contract runtime.
Security FOR Developers
developerCommon Solana program vulnerabilities and fixes.
Seed phrase
securityA sequence of words that can regenerate every key in a wallet.
Seed Phrase Safety
securityHow to store and protect your recovery phrase.
Sending SOL
walletsHow to transfer SOL to another wallet.
Signature
transactionsA cryptographic proof that the holder of a private key approved a transaction.
Signing Risk
securityWhy you must read every transaction before signing.
Signing Transactions
walletsHow wallets cryptographically authorize on-chain actions.
Simulating Transactions
developerDry-running a transaction to preview effects.
Slashing Concepts
validatorsPenalties for malicious or faulty validator behavior.
Slippage
defiPrice difference between quote and execution.
Slot
fundamentalsA ~400ms window in which a leader can produce a block.
Slots
fundamentalsFixed time windows in which a leader can produce a block.
Smart Contract Risk
securityBugs and exploits in on-chain code.
Smart Contracts
developerPrograms that execute deterministic on-chain logic.
Smart Money Tracking
analyticsFollowing profitable wallets.
SOL
fundamentalsThe native asset of the Solana network, used to pay fees and stake.
SOL Token
fundamentalsThe native token of Solana — used for fees, staking, and securing the network.
Solana PAY
paymentsAn open standard for on-chain payment requests.
Solana Programs
developerSolana's name for smart contracts.
Solana Security Basics
securityFoundational practices to keep your assets safe.
Solflare Wallet
walletsLong-running Solana wallet with deep staking support.
Soulbound Concepts
nftsNon-transferable NFTs tied to identity.
SPL Token
tokensThe standard fungible-token format on Solana.
Spot DEX
defiOn-chain exchanges for direct token swaps.
Stablecoin Payments
paymentsSettling in USDC and other stables.
Stablecoins
defiTokens pegged to fiat currencies like USD.
Stablecoins ON Solana
tokensUSDC, USDT, and other dollar-pegged tokens.
Stake
stakingSOL committed to a validator to help secure the network and earn rewards.
Stake Accounts
stakingSpecial accounts that hold and delegate your staked SOL.
Stake Pools
stakingPooled staking that diversifies across many validators.
Stake-weighted QoS
validatorsPrioritizing transactions by sender stake.
Staking Rewards
stakingInflation-based rewards distributed every epoch.
Staking Risk
stakingSlashing, downtime, and validator misbehavior risks.
State
fundamentalsAll on-chain data stored across accounts.
State Compression
infrastructureStoring large datasets cheaply via Merkle trees.
Subscriptions
developerWebSocket subscriptions for real-time chain data.
Supply
tokensTotal units of a token in circulation.
Swap Routing
defiAggregators finding the best price across venues.
T
27 termsTelegram Scams
securityCommon scams targeting users on Telegram.
Test Validator
developerA lightweight local cluster for fast iteration.
Testing Programs
developerUnit and integration testing for Solana programs.
Throughput
fundamentalsTransactions per second the network can process.
Token account
tokensAn account that holds a balance of a specific token for a specific owner.
Token Accounts
tokensPer-wallet accounts that hold balances of a token.
Token Analytics
analyticsTracking holders, supply, and concentration.
Token Balances
walletsViewing SPL token balances inside your wallet.
Token Distribution
tokensHow a token's supply is split across holders.
Token Extensions
tokensOptional features added to SPL tokens.
Token Launches
tokensPublic sales, fair launches, and initial distributions.
Token Metadata
tokensName, symbol, and image metadata for a token.
Token Program
developerThe canonical SPL token program.
Token Scam Checklist
securityQuick checks before buying a new token.
Token-2022
tokensAn upgraded SPL token standard supporting extensions (transfer hooks, fees, etc).
Token-2022 Extensions
tokensNew behaviors enabled by the Token-2022 program.
Tower BFT
fundamentalsSolana's PoH-aware BFT consensus algorithm.
TPU
infrastructureTransaction Processing Unit — where validators ingest txs.
Transaction
transactionsOne or more instructions, signed and executed atomically.
Transaction Analysis
analyticsDecoding what each transaction actually did.
Transaction Confirmation
fundamentalsThe lifecycle from submitted to confirmed to finalized.
Transaction History
infrastructureLooking up historical activity for any wallet.
Transaction simulation
securityPreviewing what a transaction would do before signing it.
Transactions
fundamentalsSigned instructions submitted to the cluster and processed by validators.
Transactions VS Instructions
developerWhy transactions bundle multiple instructions.
Treasury Management
governanceHow DAOs manage on-chain treasuries.
Turbine
validatorsSolana's block propagation protocol.
U
1 termV
14 termsValidator
validatorsA node that produces and votes on blocks, securing the Solana network.
Validator Clients
validatorsImplementations like Agave and Firedancer.
Validator Commission
validatorsThe fee validators charge their delegators.
Validator Economics
validatorsHow validators earn from commission, MEV, and inflation.
Validator Hardware
validatorsRecommended CPU, RAM, NVMe, and bandwidth specs.
Validator Risk
securityRisks delegators take when staking with a validator.
Validator Selection
stakingHow to pick validators by performance and commission.
Vaults
defiAutomated strategies that deploy user deposits.
Verified Collections
nftsCollections cryptographically signed by their creator.
Vesting
tokensTokens unlocked over time for teams and investors.
Volume Analysis
analyticsMeasuring real vs wash trading volume.
Vote Accounts
validatorsOn-chain accounts validators use to cast consensus votes.
Vote Credits
validatorsCredits validators earn for timely consensus votes.
Voting
governanceHow token holders vote on proposals.
W
20 termsWallet
walletsSoftware that manages your private keys — it doesn't store coins, it stores keys.
Wallet Adapters
walletsLibraries that connect dapps to many wallets at once.
Wallet Analysis
analyticsProfiling individual wallets and clusters.
Wallet Backup
walletsStoring seed phrases safely and redundantly.
Wallet Checkout
paymentsLetting users pay directly from their wallets.
Wallet Drains
securityMalicious signatures that empty wallets in one click.
Wallet Permissions
walletsManaging site connections and signature approvals.
Wallet Recovery
walletsRestoring a wallet from its seed phrase on a new device.
Wallet Security
walletsBest practices to protect keys, approvals, and signatures.
Wallet Setup
walletsCreating a new wallet and securing the seed phrase.
Web3 JS
developerJavaScript library for talking to Solana RPCs.
Webhooks
infrastructurePush notifications for on-chain events.
Whale Tracking
analyticsWatching the largest holders' moves.
What IS A Token
tokensA digital asset that lives on-chain.
What IS A Validator
validatorsA node that produces and votes on blocks to secure Solana.
What IS A Wallet
walletsSoftware that stores your keys and lets you interact with Solana.
What IS AN NFT
nftsNon-fungible tokens representing unique on-chain assets.
What IS DeFi
defiDecentralized finance — protocols replacing banks with code.
What IS Solana
fundamentalsA high-performance Layer-1 blockchain optimized for speed, low fees, and global scale.
What IS Staking
stakingDelegating SOL to validators to secure the network and earn rewards.
