Fiat, crypto assets, stablecoins and the blockchain networks that carry them.
Topic definitions
Definitions in this topic
12
Asset-network combination
Also seen as asset and network · USDC on Ethereum · USDT on TRON · network-specific asset
An asset-network combination identifies both the token or coin and the blockchain route used to move it. The same ticker on two networks may require different addresses, standards, fees and provider support.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
Checking only the asset name can lead to the wrong deposit or withdrawal route. Compatibility depends on the exact network accepted at both the sending and receiving ends.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide treats each approved asset-network direction as a distinct capability. An asset list alone does not prove deposits, outbound sends or wallet-linked spending on every network.
Also seen as blockchain network · chain · crypto network · funding network · receive network · outbound network
The blockchain environment on which an asset is received, sent, or used, such as a specific chain selected for a transfer. It is separate from a card network such as Visa or Mastercard.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
The same asset can exist on several networks, while a product may support only selected asset-network combinations and directions. Choosing an unsupported combination can prevent a transfer from reaching the intended balance.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide always qualifies blockchain network separately from card network. Network support is recorded per asset and direction; external gas or bridge costs remain outside card fees, filters, and scoring.
Also seen as bridging · cross-chain bridge · blockchain bridge
A blockchain bridge moves or represents value between different blockchain networks. The process may use smart contracts, custodians, wrapped assets or liquidity providers and can introduce extra execution steps and risks.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
Bridging can add cost, delay and security exposure before funds reach a card-compatible network. It is not the same as an ordinary provider transfer or cryptocard.guide's Balance & conversion presentation.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide treats bridging as an external network or wallet action unless a provider explicitly owns the operation. External bridge costs are not card fees, scoring inputs or filters.
Also seen as crypto asset · digital asset · cryptocurrency · token · crypto
A digitally represented asset recorded on a blockchain. Token is often used for assets issued on an existing network, while crypto asset is the broader cryptocard.guide term; neither implies stable value, liquidity, or card support.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A provider may list an asset for holding without supporting deposits, withdrawals, conversion, rewards, or card spending. The ticker must be tied to a network and route before it becomes useful comparison data.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide keeps asset identity separate from network and route support. A listed asset receives no automatic positive treatment; approved direction, account scope, conversion behavior, fees, and limits determine the public capability.
Also seen as fiat · government-issued currency · traditional currency · national currency
Money issued by a government or monetary authority, such as dollars or euros. On cryptocard.guide, fiat currencies are kept separate from crypto assets and stablecoins when describing fees, balances, deposits, conversion, and payouts.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A card purchase can involve a funding asset, a settlement currency, and a merchant currency. Identifying which value is fiat helps reveal where exchange rates and conversion costs can enter.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide normalizes fiat currency codes separately from token tickers and names the route where each currency is supported. Fiat support is not inferred from a similarly named stablecoin or from a card network.
Also seen as onchain · blockchain transaction · on-chain transaction
On-chain describes an action recorded or executed through a blockchain network. Its completion can depend on network confirmation, wallet authorization, congestion and external transaction costs rather than card-network processing alone.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
An on-chain transfer and a card purchase follow different systems, timing and failure conditions. Confusing them can hide gas costs or suggest that a merchant payment itself settles on a blockchain.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide uses “on-chain” only for the blockchain portion of a flow. External network execution costs remain separate from provider card fees and are score-neutral under the approved methodology.
Also seen as stable value · peg risk · loss of peg · depegging
A peg is the target value relationship a stablecoin tries to maintain with another asset or currency. A depeg occurs when its market or redemption value moves materially away from that target.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
Card balances and rewards denominated in a stablecoin can lose purchasing power during a depeg. A familiar currency symbol or historical stability does not remove issuer, reserve or market risk.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide treats peg information as an asset-risk fact and does not equate a stablecoin with insured fiat. A stated peg never creates positive score credit by itself.
Also seen as fiat-referenced token · currency-referenced token · dollar stablecoin · euro stablecoin
A crypto token designed to track a reference value, commonly a fiat currency. A stablecoin can still carry issuer, reserve, redemption, market, network, custody, and smart-contract risks, and support may vary by route.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
Stablecoins are common card funding and reward assets, but the same ticker may have different network, receive, send, conversion, and spending support. A stable target value is not a guarantee of redemption or access.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide identifies the stablecoin, blockchain network, route direction, and relevant balance separately. Generic stablecoin support is not treated as proof of both deposits and withdrawals, direct card spending, or risk-free value.
Also seen as asset swap · token swap · crypto swap · swapped into another asset
A swap exchanges one crypto asset for another through a provider, exchange or blockchain mechanism. It can involve a quoted price, spread, fee, liquidity limits and a separate network transaction.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A required swap can reduce the value available for card spending even when the card advertises no added foreign-exchange fee. Crypto conversion and card-currency conversion are different cost layers.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide records a swap as an asset-conversion step when approved evidence shows it. Applicable provider fees and spreads may affect cost treatment; external blockchain execution remains separate.
Also seen as ERC20 · TRC20 · BEP20 · SPL · token standard
A token standard defines technical rules for issuing or transferring tokens within a blockchain ecosystem. Labels such as ERC20, TRC20, BEP20 and SPL are not separate assets and should not replace the network name.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A familiar asset ticker can exist under different standards or networks. Selecting a label without confirming the actual chain and destination support can cause a failed or unrecoverable transfer.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide stores standards as attributes of an approved asset-and-network route. It does not count a standard as another asset, blockchain network or independent money-movement route.
Also seen as unsupported token network · wrong network · network not supported · unsupported asset-network pair
Unsupported or wrong network means the provider does not accept the selected blockchain route for that asset or operation. Sending through it may fail, remain uncredited or require difficult recovery.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A supported token ticker is not enough; the exact network and direction must match. Treating a known incompatibility as a generic unknown can expose users to avoidable transfer loss.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide presents an approved network incompatibility as a scoped confirmed negative. It can fail a relevant route requirement, but it is never generalized beyond the documented asset, direction and product.
Also seen as volatile token · token price changes · market exposure · price risk
Volatility is the degree to which an asset's market value can change over time. Market exposure means a balance, reward or collateral position remains affected by those price movements.
Practical explanation
Why it matters
A reward percentage can look attractive while the reward asset loses value, and collateral can approach liquidation after a price fall. Nominal units do not guarantee stable purchasing power.
How we treat it
cryptocard.guide keeps asset-price exposure visible in reward, collateral and Earn explanations. It does not convert a volatile upside claim into guaranteed value or a product-quality bonus.