Crypto Swap Glossary
Short definitions of the terms you meet when swapping crypto, and what each one means on ShadowSwap.
- AML (anti-money laundering)
- Rules and checks meant to stop illicit funds. ShadowSwap needs no identity documents for a standard swap, but its AML policy lets it refuse, delay or block a transaction, for example after sanctions screening. AML policy
- Block explorer
- A website that shows public blockchain data: transactions, addresses and confirmations. Use one for the network you used to check whether a deposit or payout has gone through. Explorers are third parties and can see what you look up.
- Bridged token
- A token on one network that represents an asset from another, created through a bridge. USDC.e on Polygon is the bridged version of USDC; it is a different token from native USDC on Polygon. USDC guide
- Confirmation
- Each block added on top of the block containing your transaction. ShadowSwap credits a deposit after a set number of confirmations per network (Solana: once finalized). Confirmations by network
- Custodial / non-custodial
- Custodial means a service holds your funds for a time. ShadowSwap is custodial during a swap: your deposit goes to an address it controls until the team sends your payout. A non-custodial tool lets you keep control of your keys throughout.
- Deposit address
- The one-time address ShadowSwap generates for your order. Send exactly the amount shown, on the network shown, before the deposit window ends.
- Destination address
- Your own receiving address for the payout. It must be on the receive network you selected; ShadowSwap checks its format, not who owns it.
- Gas / network fee
- The fee paid to a blockchain to process a transaction, in the network’s own coin (ETH on Ethereum, TRX on Tron, SOL on Solana). Your wallet pays it for your deposit; the payout network fee is deducted from your payout. How fees work
- KYC (know your customer)
- Identity verification, such as uploading an ID document. ShadowSwap has no accounts and asks for no name, email or ID for a standard swap.
- Memo / destination tag
- An extra field some networks and exchanges need to route a deposit. None of the networks ShadowSwap supports uses one for its deposits or payouts.
- Network (blockchain)
- The blockchain a coin moves on. The same ticker can exist on several networks, and those versions aren’t interchangeable: USDT on Tron and USDT on Ethereum are different coins on ShadowSwap. Network guide
- Rate quote
- The exchange rate the widget shows for your pair. On ShadowSwap it is the ratio of the two coins’ live USD prices, refreshed every minute; a quote in the widget refreshes every 60 seconds, and your order’s amount is fixed when you create the swap.
- Shielded address (Zcash)
- A Zcash address type (Sapling “zs…”, or a shielded receiver in a unified “u…” address) whose transfers can hide amounts and addresses. Transparent “t…” addresses work like Bitcoin addresses and are fully public. Zcash guide
- Spread
- The difference between the market price and the rate a service gives you — a fee built into the rate. ShadowSwap adds no spread: its rate is the market price ratio.
- Stablecoin
- A token designed to track a currency such as the US dollar, e.g. USDT, USDC and DAI. ShadowSwap values them at exactly $1 when calculating rates.
- Token standard (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, SPL)
- The rules a token follows on its network: ERC-20 on Ethereum, TRC-20 on Tron, BEP-20 on BNB Chain, SPL on Solana. The standard tells you which network — and which kind of address — a token needs.
- Token approval
- Permission you sign for a smart contract to move your tokens later. Sending a deposit to a ShadowSwap address is a plain transfer and creates no approval. When to revoke approvals
- Transaction ID (hash)
- The unique identifier of a blockchain transaction. Keep the one for your deposit: support needs it, together with your swap ID, to investigate a problem.
- UTXO
- An unspent transaction output: on Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Zcash’s transparent pool your balance is a set of these, and spending several together can link them. UTXO privacy guide