1. Account
An Account on the Internet Computer is a ledger entry that holds a balance of ICP tokens. Each account is linked to a principal (a unique identifier) and is used to perform transactions, store value, and interact with canisters. Accounts are managed by the Ledger Canister, which maintains the transaction history and current balances.
2. Actor
An Actor is a computational entity that encapsulates state and behaviour. In ICP, actors are implemented as canisters that process messages, maintain state, and perform computations. They interact with other actors through asynchronous message passing, ensuring scalability and fault tolerance.
3. Agent
An Agent is a client-side library or tool that facilitates communication between users and canisters on the Internet Computer. It manages the sending of ingress messages, signing of requests, and handling of responses, enabling secure and seamless interactions with decentralized applications.
4. Anchor
An Anchor is a unique identifier within the Internet Identity system that associates a user with their authentication devices. It allows users to securely access canisters without the need for traditional passwords, enhancing user experience and security.
5. Boundary Node
A Boundary Node is an entry point into the Internet Computer that handles HTTP requests from users. It translates web requests into ingress messages for canisters and routes the responses back to users, ensuring seamless web integration.
6. Canister
A Canister is a smart contract on the Internet Computer that combines code and state. It can execute computations, store data, and respond to queries. Canisters are scalable, upgradeable, and can communicate with other canisters through inter-canister calls.
7. Candid
Candid is an interface description language used for specifying canister interfaces. It provides a standardized way to describe the data types and methods of canisters, enabling cross-language compatibility and ease of integration.
8. Chain Key Technology
Chain Key Technology is a cryptographic breakthrough that allows the Internet Computer to seamlessly add or remove nodes without disrupting the network's operation. It ensures security, scalability, and high performance by enabling quick consensus and validation.
9. Cycle Burn
Cycle Burn is the consumption of cycles when a canister performs computations or stores data. As cycles are spent, they are “burned,” reducing the canister’s balance. This mechanism ensures that resource usage is metered and paid for.
10. Cycle Wallet
A Cycle Wallet is a canister that manages cycles on behalf of a user. It allows users to deposit ICP tokens, convert them into cycles, and fund other canisters, ensuring they have the necessary resources for operation.
11. Cycles
Cycles are the computational resource units on the Internet Computer. They are used to pay for computation, storage, and bandwidth, ensuring that canisters can run efficiently without impacting network performance.
12. DFINITY Foundation
The DFINITY Foundation is the organisation behind the development and maintenance of the Internet Computer Protocol. It is a non-profit entity that drives research, development, and community engagement.
13. DFX
DFX is a command-line tool that helps developers manage canisters, deploy code, and interact with the Internet Computer. It simplifies the development workflow by providing commands for building, deploying, and testing decentralized applications.
14. Egress Message
An Egress Message is a response from a canister to a user or another canister. It delivers the result of a computation, query, or inter-canister call, ensuring that interactions within the network are complete.
15. Genesis
Genesis marks the launch of the Internet Computer network, transitioning it from a research project to a fully decentralized public blockchain. It symbolizes the start of a decentralized web ecosystem.
16. Heartbeat
A Heartbeat is a periodic trigger that executes specific functions within a canister. It enables time-based actions, such as scheduled tasks or state updates, without user intervention.
17. ICP Token
The ICP Token is the native cryptocurrency of the Internet Computer. It is used for governance participation, converting into cycles for computation, and staking in the Network Nervous System (NNS) for voting.
18. IC Nomads
IC Nomads is a community initiative designed to support Web3 influencers and enthusiasts on the Internet Computer. It provides resources, networking opportunities, and education to foster engagement and innovation.
19. Identity Anchor
An Identity Anchor is a stable identifier in the Internet Identity system that links a user to their authentication devices. It enables users to maintain a consistent identity across multiple devices.
20. Ingress Message
An Ingress Message is a request sent from a user to a canister. It initiates computations, data retrieval, or state changes, serving as the primary method of interaction between users and decentralized applications.
21. Ingress Queue
An Ingress Queue is a buffer that stores incoming messages for a canister. It organizes messages in the order they are received, ensuring that each request is processed sequentially.
22. Install Code
Install Code refers to deploying new code to a canister, either as an initial deployment or as an upgrade. It allows developers to enhance functionality and fix bugs without losing state.
23. Inter-canister Call
An Inter-canister Call is communication between canisters, allowing them to invoke each other's methods and share data. It enables modular and scalable application design.
24. Internet Identity
Internet Identity is a decentralized authentication system that enables users to securely access canisters without traditional passwords, using devices like security keys and biometric authentication.
25. Ledger Canister
A Ledger Canister records ICP token transactions, maintaining a transparent history of transfers between accounts. It ensures accountability and traceability in the network.
26. Memory Pages
Memory Pages are fixed-size units of memory allocation for canisters, typically 64 kilobytes each. They allow canisters to manage state efficiently.
27. Motoko
Motoko is a programming language designed for building canisters on the Internet Computer. It features safety and concurrency, making it suitable for writing secure and efficient smart contracts.
28. Network Nervous System (NNS)
The NNS is the decentralized governance system of the Internet Computer. It manages network upgrades, economic policies, and node management through community voting.
29. Node
A Node is a server that runs the Internet Computer Protocol, hosting canisters and processing transactions. Nodes are operated by independent node providers to maintain decentralization.
30. SDK (Software Development Kit)
An SDK is a collection of tools and libraries for building, testing, and deploying canisters on the Internet Computer. It simplifies development by providing templates, APIs, and utilities.
31. Node Provider
A Node Provider is an entity or individual that operates nodes on the Internet Computer network. They supply the hardware and connectivity required to host canisters and maintain the network's decentralization and reliability.
32. NNS Proposal
An NNS Proposal is a governance mechanism submitted to the Network Nervous System. It suggests changes such as protocol upgrades, economic adjustments, or network configurations, which are then voted on by ICP holders.
33. Principal
A Principal is a unique identifier assigned to users, canisters, and entities interacting with the Internet Computer. It is used to authenticate and authorize actions, ensuring secure communication and transactions.
34. Query Call
A Query Call is a read-only request to a canister that retrieves data without modifying state. It is executed quickly and does not consume cycles, making it ideal for data fetching.
35. Replica
A Replica is a software instance that runs on a node, processing canister messages, maintaining state, and reaching consensus with other replicas to ensure consistency across the network.
36. Subnet
A Subnet is a group of nodes that work together to host canisters. It ensures scalability and fault tolerance by distributing workloads and maintaining replicated state across multiple nodes.
37. Tokenomics
Tokenomics refers to the economic model of the ICP token, including its supply, distribution, staking, and burning mechanisms. It governs incentives, governance participation, and network sustainability.
38. Topology
Topology in ICP refers to the network structure, including the arrangement of nodes, subnets, and canisters. It ensures efficient communication, load balancing, and fault tolerance.
39. Trustless
Trustless is a property of the Internet Computer that ensures decentralized governance and operation without relying on centralized authorities, enhancing security and transparency.
40. Type Safety
Type Safety is a programming feature in Motoko and other languages on ICP that prevents type errors, ensuring data consistency and reducing runtime bugs in canister development.
41. Update Call
An Update Call is a request that modifies the state of a canister. It is executed asynchronously and requires consensus, consuming cycles and ensuring consistency across replicas.
42. UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output)
UTXO is a Bitcoin transaction model used in ICP’s Bitcoin integration. It tracks unspent outputs from transactions, enabling secure and efficient transfers without double-spending.
43. Validator
A Validator is a node or entity that verifies transactions and ensures consensus on the Internet Computer, maintaining network integrity and security.
44. Voting Neuron
A Voting Neuron is a staked ICP token that participates in governance by voting on NNS proposals. It accumulates rewards based on voting activity and duration of staking.
45. Wasm (WebAssembly)
Wasm is a low-level bytecode format used to compile and run canisters on the Internet Computer. It ensures fast execution and cross-language compatibility.
46. Web3
Web3 is a decentralized version of the internet that ICP supports, emphasizing user sovereignty, data ownership, and censorship resistance through blockchain technology.
47. Whitelist
A Whitelist in ICP is a permission mechanism that restricts access to certain canister functionalities or endpoints, enhancing security and access control.
48. Yield
Yield in the context of ICP refers to rewards earned by staking ICP tokens in the Network Nervous System (NNS) through voting neurons. It incentivizes governance participation.
49. Zero Trust Architecture
Zero Trust Architecture is a security model adopted by ICP, which requires continuous authentication and authorization, ensuring secure interactions across the decentralized network.
50. Zone
A Zone is a logical grouping of canisters and nodes within the Internet Computer, designed to optimize resource allocation, scalability, and data locality.
The journey has just begun, and with this glossary as your guide, you are well-equipped to navigate the ever-evolving world of ICP. Ready to build the internet of tomorrow? The possibilities await.
Article By: Mana Lamja