# Definitions

**Cardano:** A blockchain platform for changemakers, innovators, and visionaries, founded on peer-reviewed research and evidence-based methods, focusing on sustainability, scalability, and transparency.

**DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organisation):** A DAO is an organizational structure represented by rules encoded as a transparent computer program, controlled by the organization members through governance, and not influenced by a central organization or entity. Learn more in FAQ.

**DeFi (Decentralized Finance):** Financial systems and tools that operate without central intermediaries, using blockchain technology to offer services like lending, borrowing, trading, and investing.

**Launchpad:** A platform or service that assists new cryptocurrency projects in launching their tokens or coins, often providing early investment opportunities for backers.

**Smart Contract:** Self-executing contracts where the agreement between buyer and seller is directly written into code, enabling trustless and automated transactions.

**ADA:** The native cryptocurrency of the Cardano platform.

**Staking:** Holding and committing a cryptocurrency in a wallet to support operations like block validation, security, and governance in a blockchain network. In return, participants often receive rewards.

**Vaulting:** Registering or delegating a fungible or non-fungible token to a platform or protocol. This is a noncustodial form of staking where your assets never leave your custody.

**Vesting Schedule:** A predetermined timeline or set of conditions dictating when tokens or assets can be delivered, accessed, or sold.

**Tokenomics:** Refers to the economic model and structure behind a token, including its distribution, utility, and how it is used to drive the project's ecosystem.

**IDO (Initial DEX Offering):** A token offering that occurs directly on a decentralized exchange (DEX), allowing projects to raise capital and users to get early access to tokens.

**Oracle:** A tool or service that feeds external data into blockchain networks, enabling smart contracts to understand and act upon real-world information.

**Governance Token:** Tokens that confer decision-making powers to holders, allowing them to influence the direction and decisions of a project.

**Liquidity Pool:** A collection of funds locked in a smart contract to facilitate decentralized trading, lending, or other financial operations.

**P2P (Peer-to-Peer):** Direct interactions between two parties in a network without a centralized intermediary.

**Plutus:** A smart contract development platform on Cardano.

**Minting:** The process of creating new tokens or coins in the blockchain ecosystem.

**Rug Pull:** A malicious maneuver in the crypto world where developers abandon a project and run away with investors' funds.

**KYC (Know Your Customer):** Verification processes used by businesses to confirm the identity of their clients are often required for regulatory compliance.

**Blockchain Infrastructure - Nodes, SPO:** In blockchain technology, nodes are the individual devices or computers that comprise the decentralized network. These nodes play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and security of the blockchain. Node operators, like IDO Pass DAO, are rewarded for providing this infrastructure.

**Stake Pool Operation**: Cardano is a blockchain platform known for using a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, and stake pools are a key component of its PoS system. Learn more in FAQ.