Web3 User Experience Glossary — Terms Every dApp Builder Should Know

Token Approval

A permission granted by a user to a smart contract allowing it to spend a specific amount of their tokens. Required before interacting with many DeFi protocols.

Bridging

The process of moving assets between different blockchain networks, typically involving locking assets on the source chain and minting equivalent assets on the destination chain.

Gas Estimation

The predicted amount of gas a transaction will consume, used to calculate the expected cost before a user confirms the transaction.

Nonce

A sequential number assigned to each transaction from a given wallet. Ensures transactions are processed in order and prevents replay attacks.

Pending Transaction

A transaction that has been broadcast to the network but has not yet been included in a block. Users wait for confirmation.

Seed Phrase

The 12- or 24-word backup of a wallet's master key. The ultimate backup for any self-custodied wallet.

Self-Custody

The practice of holding one's own private keys (and thus full control over assets) rather than trusting a third party to hold them.

Signature

A cryptographic proof that a transaction or message was authorized by the holder of a specific private key.

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a trade and the price at execution, typically caused by market movement or trade size relative to pool depth.

Smart Account

A contract-controlled wallet with programmable transaction logic, recovery features, and advanced capabilities beyond standard EOAs.

TxHash

The unique identifier of a blockchain transaction, used to track and reference a specific transaction.

WalletConnect

An open protocol enabling secure connection between cryptocurrency wallets and dApps via QR code or deep link. WalletConnect v2 supports 300+ wallets with a single integration.

ENS (Ethereum Name Service)

A system that maps human-readable names (like alice.eth) to Ethereum addresses, making wallet addresses more user-friendly.