In brief
Kaspa terminology should be introduced as a working vocabulary that connects wiki prose to implementation terms.
What this page explains#
Kaspa terminology should be introduced as a working vocabulary that connects wiki prose to implementation terms. This page sits in Foundations. It gives the topic a plain-language handle first, then shows the working idea, the mechanism, the source trail, and any limits that still matter. This category gives the reader durable handles before any source walk begins. It keeps identity, motivation, vocabulary, history, and first practical routes separate so a later consensus or developer page does not have to carry every introduction at once.
The writing follows a simple Kaspa documentation pattern: answer the practical question first, then link outward for details. The closest public sources for this page are WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO. Local notes can help choose what to explain, but public-facing references resolve to upstream websites, repositories, papers, release pages, or docs.
How to think about it#
The practical model starts by naming the layer that owns the topic: wallet use, node operation, consensus, transaction validation, Toccata script behavior, tooling, or research. From there, the page shows which public source can support the explanation and where the explanation becomes incomplete.
For Terminology, the model is built around these anchors: blockDAG, GHOSTDAG, selected parent, virtual state, UTXO, wRPC, Toccata, SilverScript, Groth16, RISC Zero Succinct, and vProgs need exact casing; terms are defined before they are used in dense claims; some terms are orientation terms and some are source-level identifiers; ambiguous words such as hash, accepted, and final need page-local definitions; terminology pages are navigation aids, not protocol authority by themselves. This model is useful, but it does not encode every constant, branch, error type, or edge case. Those details belong in the source path and the source notes.
How it works#
1. blockDAG, GHOSTDAG, selected parent, virtual state, UTXO, wRPC, Toccata, SilverScript, Groth16, RISC Zero Succinct, and vProgs need exact casing. Foundation pages introduce why Kaspa needs these words before they explain the internals. The first-contact model is that proof of work gives blocks an objective work signal, blockDAG structure keeps parallel block information in view, and GHOSTDAG is the later ordering bridge. Source-level validation belongs in the consensus and core protocol pages.
2. terms are defined before they are used in dense claims. Foundation pages turn a short public idea into a stable learning path. The explanation names why the topic appears, which later page carries the mechanism, and what source class can support stronger claims. The goal is orientation that does not pretend to be implementation proof.
3. some terms are orientation terms and some are source-level identifiers. Foundation pages turn a short public idea into a stable learning path. The explanation names why the topic appears, which later page carries the mechanism, and what source class can support stronger claims. The goal is orientation that does not pretend to be implementation proof.
4. ambiguous words such as hash, accepted, and final need page-local definitions. Foundation pages turn a short public idea into a stable learning path. The explanation names why the topic appears, which later page carries the mechanism, and what source class can support stronger claims. The goal is orientation that does not pretend to be implementation proof.
5. terminology pages are navigation aids, not protocol authority by themselves. Foundation pages turn a short public idea into a stable learning path. The explanation names why the topic appears, which later page carries the mechanism, and what source class can support stronger claims. The goal is orientation that does not pretend to be implementation proof.
This mechanism section is intentionally shallow-to-deep: it gives the first usable explanation, then names the later page where source-level mechanics belong. Foundation pages must not smuggle in covenant, ZK, or readiness claims unless the Source List and Source Notes support that exact bridge.
How to check it#
| Step | Check | Evidence gate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check blockDAG, GHOSTDAG, selected parent, virtual state, UTXO, wRPC, Toccata, SilverScript, Groth16, RISC Zero Succinct, and vProgs need exact casing. | Use WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO; keep deep mechanics in the related consensus, transaction, operation, or Toccata page. |
| 2 | Check terms are defined before they are used in dense claims. | Use WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO; keep deep mechanics in the related consensus, transaction, operation, or Toccata page. |
| 3 | Check some terms are orientation terms and some are source-level identifiers. | Use WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO; keep deep mechanics in the related consensus, transaction, operation, or Toccata page. |
| 4 | Check ambiguous words such as hash, accepted, and final need page-local definitions. | Use WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO; keep deep mechanics in the related consensus, transaction, operation, or Toccata page. |
| 5 | Check terminology pages are navigation aids, not protocol authority by themselves. | Use WIKI-DEVELOPERS-KB, DOC-TOCCATA-REFERENCES, RK-REPO; keep deep mechanics in the related consensus, transaction, operation, or Toccata page. |
When using this page for a wiki article, keep orientation separate from mechanics. The page can name the path and the next concept, but detailed wallet, node, mining, consensus, transaction, or Toccata behavior belongs in the downstream page that carries the stronger Source List.
Related Pages#
- getting-started
- foundations
- faq