Content hub Back to the console

SAOS glossary: every scary word, translated into human

The rule: when writing for a broad audience, use the "our language" column. The technical column exists only so professionals and journalists can find the original term when they search.
The scary termOur languageOne-sentence explanation
BlockchainPublic ledgerA giant account book open to everyone, and no one can delete a line from it
State root / Merkle rootMathematical fingerprintA unique sequence of signs generated from all the data; change one comma and the fingerprint changes completely
Seal / CheckpointSigned snapshotEvery 36 seconds the system "photographs" everything and signs the photo
Anchor / AnchoringRegistration with witnessesSending the fingerprint to public ledgers so it cannot be altered later
Multi-chain / Cross-chainSeveral registriesThe same proof is recorded in several independent ledgers at the same time
Gas / FeeStamp dutyWhat you pay so a record enters the ledger; with us: agorot or free
Resource Credits (RC)Included minutes bundleOn the Steem/Hive networks: a renewing allowance of free actions for whoever holds a balance
EIP-1559 / calldataEnvelope with a noteA way of sending information to Ethereum inside the transaction itself
SPL MemoNote on the receiptA cheap way to record a short message on a Solana transaction
Bit-encoding (TRON)Message encoded in amountsEncoding the proof in tiny transfer amounts so the net cost is zero
Wallet / Private keyVault keyA secret that proves ownership; with us it never leaves the owner's machine
Self-custodyThe keys stay with youNo one else, including us, can touch your assets
Threshold signatures (7/11)Seven out of elevenReleasing money requires seven different guardians to sign; stealing one key is not enough
EscrowMoney locked asideBefore a trade, both sides lock theirs; no one can run away midway
Order bookThe order boardThe list of all waiting buyers and sellers, open to everyone
AMM / PoolShared cash boxA pool of assets that allows trading without waiting for one specific counterparty
Wrapped assetBacked wrapperAn asset from one network appearing on another network, backed one to one by a lock
OraclePrice reporterA service bringing information from the world into the system; ours: signed and honestly reporting failures
Circuit breakerElectrical fuseWhen something breaks in an external network, the system disconnects it temporarily instead of taking the risk
Fail-fast / HALTEmergency stopAccounting inconsistency? The system stops immediately and publishes the reason
InvariantIron ruleA condition that must always hold (for example: wrapped = locked); the code checks it on every action
Deterministic replayA film you can rerunAnyone running the same history reaches exactly the same result
Chaos testingBreaking on purposeTests where connections are cut and data faked on purpose, to make sure the system survives
AuditExternal checkAn independent party examines the code; ours: the package is packed and waiting
NotarizationNotary stampProof that "this thing existed on this date", without storing the content itself
TimestampingTime stampRecording when something happened, so no one can claim otherwise later
Proof of existenceProof of existence"This file existed then", without exposing the file
KeylessWithout keysA proof built from public data only, no secret involved
RPCService counterThe point where you ask a public network questions and read the ledger
Txid / SignatureReceipt numberThe unique identifier of every record in the ledger, the link you are given to check
Explorer (Etherscan and similar)The receipts siteA public site where anyone can see every receipt on every network
Gas modelStamp duty calculatorAn exact prediction of what a record will cost; ours is verified to the last digit
Batch / Merkle batchingShared shipmentThousands of proofs are collected into one seal, everyone shares the cost
Sovereign chainIndependent networkA system that runs itself and asks no one for permission
Shadow-L1 / Anchored chainNetwork with witnessesAn independent network whose security comes from registering with public networks, not from paid validators
CoW batch (Coincidence of Wants)Uniform-price batch settlementAll the orders in a block settle together at a single clearing price, there is no queue, so there is no sandwich
POLProtocol-owned liquidityThe liquidity does not wait for someone external, it belongs to the system itself (100% at graduation)
ve(3,3)The vote-and-reward modelYou lock, you vote, you get a share of the fees, and the profits buy and burn
TWAPTime-weighted average priceNot a single manipulable moment price, an average over time
HALTHonest stopInconsistency detected? The chain stops in place and publishes the reason
CorroborationLive confirmation from an independent componentA claim does not rely on a stored file; another component verifies it against a live source
AMBIGUOUS / canonicalRoot=nullConflict flagged, no rulingWhen there are two roots for the same height, it is marked "undecided" instead of arbitrarily picking the "right" one
Fleet / SoldiersThe autonomous crewAutonomous agents operating the system 24/7, with a public performance report
Refuse countersRefusal countersPublishing how many transactions the system refused to execute, the opposite of boasting
Zero-mockNo fakes in testsInternal rule: tests must not simulate success; either truth or a visible failure

How to use this in writing

  1. Write the sentence with the human term.
  2. If the technical term is required (for a professional audience or the press), add it in parentheses once only: "mathematical fingerprint (state root)".
  3. Never start a sentence with a technical term.
  4. If a term does not appear here, it probably does not belong in text for a broad audience.