Every term used on this site, defined simply. Not like a textbook — like how a colleague would explain it to you in a meeting.
The difference between BTC price on Coinbase (USD-based, US institutional) and Binance (USDT-based, global retail). Positive = US buying pressure. Negative = offshore flows dominate. A leading indicator for institutional behavior.
US Dollar Index. Measures USD strength against a basket of six currencies (EUR, JPY, GBP, CAD, SEK, CHF). Rises when dollar strengthens. Negatively correlated with most risk assets and commodities priced in dollars.
A 0–100 sentiment gauge for crypto markets from Alternative.me. Combines volatility, momentum, social, survey, dominance, and trends. Below 20 = extreme fear, historically a contrarian buy signal. Above 80 = extreme greed, a warning sign.
A plot of Treasury yields across maturities (3M, 2Y, 10Y, 30Y). Normal = upward sloping. Inverted (short yields above long) = recession signal historically. The 2Y/10Y spread is the most-watched.
CPI = Consumer Price Index, what households pay. PPI = Producer Price Index, what businesses pay. PPI leads CPI by 1–3 months. A hot PPI print is a warning that CPI is coming.
CBOE Volatility Index. Measures 30-day implied volatility on S&P 500 options. Below 15 = calm. 20–25 = worried. Above 30 = panic. “The fear gauge.”
Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. EU framework for crypto, fully in effect April 2026. Requires stablecoin issuers to be licensed and reserve-audited. Created regulatory moats: USDC compliant, USDT not.
Federal Reserve’s quarterly projection of where each FOMC member sees the fed funds rate at year-end, one year out, two years out, long-run. The median dot is what markets price.
Bitcoin’s share of total crypto market cap. Rising dominance in selloffs = flight to quality within crypto. Rising in rallies = institutions are in. Falling dominance = alt season.
Contango: futures priced above spot (storage costs, expected price rise). Backwardation: futures below spot (immediate demand, supply tight). Backwardation in oil = a bullish signal.