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Plain meaning

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Identity verification procedures required by financial regulations that involve confirming a user's real-world identity through government-issued documents, proof of address, and sometimes biometric checks. Centralized exchanges and fiat on-ramp services typically require KYC before allowing trading or withdrawals. Most DeFi protocols on Solana are permissionless and do not require KYC, which is both a feature (accessibility) and a regulatory concern.

Mental model

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Technical context

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Wallets, signing flows, dApps, and key management concepts.

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KYC (Know Your Customer) (kyc)
Category: Web3
Definition: Identity verification procedures required by financial regulations that involve confirming a user's real-world identity through government-issued documents, proof of address, and sometimes biometric checks. Centralized exchanges and fiat on-ramp services typically require KYC before allowing trading or withdrawals. Most DeFi protocols on Solana are permissionless and do not require KYC, which is both a feature (accessibility) and a regulatory concern.
Aliases: KYC, Know Your Customer
Related: CEX (Centralized Exchange), On-Ramp / Off-Ramp, Permissionless

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Concept graph

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Branch

CEX (Centralized Exchange)

A traditional cryptocurrency exchange operated by a company that custodies user funds and matches orders on internal systems. Examples: Coinbase, Binance, Kraken. CEXs offer fiat on/off ramps, high liquidity, and familiar UX but require KYC and trust in the operator. Users deposit crypto and trade against the exchange's internal ledger, not directly on-chain.

DEX (General Concept)

Open term

Branch

On-Ramp / Off-Ramp

Services that allow users to convert between traditional fiat currency (USD, EUR, etc.) and cryptocurrency, and vice versa. On-ramps let you buy crypto with a bank transfer, credit card, or other fiat payment method. Off-ramps let you sell crypto back to fiat and withdraw to a bank account. Centralized exchanges, payment processors like MoonPay and Transak, and some wallets provide on-ramp and off-ramp services, often requiring KYC verification.

Open term

Branch

Permissionless

A system that anyone can participate in without requiring approval from a central authority. Permissionless blockchains allow anyone to run a node, submit transactions, deploy programs, or build applications. This property enables censorship resistance and open innovation but also means malicious actors can participate, requiring protocol-level security mechanisms.

Web3 Blockchain

Open term

Next concepts to explore

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Web3

CEX (Centralized Exchange)

A traditional cryptocurrency exchange operated by a company that custodies user funds and matches orders on internal systems. Examples: Coinbase, Binance, Kraken. CEXs offer fiat on/off ramps, high liquidity, and familiar UX but require KYC and trust in the operator. Users deposit crypto and trade against the exchange's internal ledger, not directly on-chain.

Open term

Web3

On-Ramp / Off-Ramp

Services that allow users to convert between traditional fiat currency (USD, EUR, etc.) and cryptocurrency, and vice versa. On-ramps let you buy crypto with a bank transfer, credit card, or other fiat payment method. Off-ramps let you sell crypto back to fiat and withdraw to a bank account. Centralized exchanges, payment processors like MoonPay and Transak, and some wallets provide on-ramp and off-ramp services, often requiring KYC verification.

Open term

Web3

Permissionless

A system that anyone can participate in without requiring approval from a central authority. Permissionless blockchains allow anyone to run a node, submit transactions, deploy programs, or build applications. This property enables censorship resistance and open innovation but also means malicious actors can participate, requiring protocol-level security mechanisms.

Open term

Web3

LFB

Acronym for 'Let's F***ing Build.' A builder-culture rallying cry emphasizing shipping code and creating products over speculation and trading. LFB signals commitment to development and construction rather than price-watching, distinguishing builders from traders within the Solana community. Often used during hackathons, developer meetups, and shipping announcements.

Open term

Related terms

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Web3cex

CEX (Centralized Exchange)

A traditional cryptocurrency exchange operated by a company that custodies user funds and matches orders on internal systems. Examples: Coinbase, Binance, Kraken. CEXs offer fiat on/off ramps, high liquidity, and familiar UX but require KYC and trust in the operator. Users deposit crypto and trade against the exchange's internal ledger, not directly on-chain.

Open term

Web3on-ramp-off-ramp

On-Ramp / Off-Ramp

Services that allow users to convert between traditional fiat currency (USD, EUR, etc.) and cryptocurrency, and vice versa. On-ramps let you buy crypto with a bank transfer, credit card, or other fiat payment method. Off-ramps let you sell crypto back to fiat and withdraw to a bank account. Centralized exchanges, payment processors like MoonPay and Transak, and some wallets provide on-ramp and off-ramp services, often requiring KYC verification.

Open term

Web3permissionless

Permissionless

A system that anyone can participate in without requiring approval from a central authority. Permissionless blockchains allow anyone to run a node, submit transactions, deploy programs, or build applications. This property enables censorship resistance and open innovation but also means malicious actors can participate, requiring protocol-level security mechanisms.

Open term

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Web3

The vision of a decentralized internet built on blockchain technology, where users own their data, identity, and digital assets. Web1 was read-only (static pages), Web2 is read-write (platforms like social media), Web3 is read-write-own (permissionless, user-sovereign). Web3 applications use wallets instead of logins and smart contracts instead of centralized servers.

Open term

Web3

dApp (Decentralized Application)

An application with its backend logic running on a blockchain as smart contracts rather than centralized servers. dApps typically have a traditional web frontend that interacts with on-chain programs via RPC. Users authenticate with wallets instead of username/password. Examples: Uniswap (Ethereum DEX), Jupiter (Solana DEX), Magic Eden (NFT marketplace).

Open term

Web3

Wallet

Software or hardware that manages cryptographic keys and enables users to sign transactions, view balances, and interact with dApps. Hot wallets (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack) are internet-connected for convenience. Cold wallets (Ledger, Trezor) store keys offline for security. Wallets don't actually 'hold' tokens—they hold the private keys that control on-chain accounts.

Open term

Web3

Seed Phrase (Mnemonic)

A 12 or 24-word human-readable backup of a wallet's master private key, generated using BIP-39 standard. The seed phrase can deterministically regenerate all derived keypairs (BIP-44 derivation paths). Losing the seed phrase means permanently losing access to all associated accounts. Never share, photograph, or store seed phrases digitally in plain text.

Open term