Ethereum Whitepaper Glossary
Definitions for core Ethereum whitepaper terms so readers can understand the document faster without leaving the archive.
Smart Contract
A program that runs on Ethereum and executes logic according to code.
Decentralized Application
An application that uses Ethereum smart contracts and a distributed network rather than relying on one central server.
Gas
The unit used to measure and price computation on Ethereum.
Ethereum Virtual Machine
The execution environment that runs Ethereum smart contracts.
Account
An address on Ethereum that can hold value, code, or state depending on its type.
Externally Owned Account
An account controlled by a user through keys, rather than by contract code.
Contract Account
An account whose behavior is defined by smart contract code.
Token
A programmable asset that can be represented and managed by smart contracts on Ethereum.
DAO
A decentralized organization whose rules and treasury are managed through smart contracts.
Ethereum Yellow Paper
A formal technical specification of Ethereum, originally associated with Gavin Wood.
Proof of Stake
Ethereum’s current consensus model, introduced after major upgrades long after the 2014 whitepaper.