Blockchain data glossary
Definitions for designing an evidence-preserving integration.
Archive node
A node configuration that retains historical state needed for old state queries. Block headers and transaction data alone do not establish this capability. When requesting an old token balance, confirm that the endpoint can read the required state rather than merely locate the block. An unavailable historical read is a gap, not a zero quantity. Retain the cutoff and failure context for review.
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Block tag
A selector identifying the state boundary for a node query. It can be an explicit height or a supported symbolic tag. A moving selector such as latest can change between calls, while a numeric height still needs block identity for reproducibility. Keep the selected hash with related observations. Do not silently substitute a convenient tag when a historical request fails.
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Cutoff
The point at which a state observation is requested. A UTC instant may need to be resolved to a block using an explicit selection policy. Keep the original time, selected block and boundary evidence together. A cutoff describes one state boundary; it is not interchangeable with an interval of transactions. Comparing observations requires aligned cutoffs as well as matching asset identities.
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Decimals
Metadata describing the display scale for an atomic token amount. A raw integer of 1234567 at six decimals displays as 1.234567. The scale does not change the stored integer and should not be guessed from a familiar symbol. Missing decimals remain an explicit metadata gap. Retain the observed contract and network so later display corrections do not rewrite the source amount.
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Internal transaction
An informal term often used for execution-level value movement inside an outer transaction. It is not necessarily an independently submitted transaction, nor does it mean the sender and recipient share an owner. Preserve execution context, supported trace identity and outcome. Keep ownership classification separate. Missing trace coverage must not become an empty verified list merely because the outer transaction was retrieved.
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Event log
A contract-emitted observation recorded with an execution receipt. Its address, topics and data provide the technical structure for a supported decoder. Interpretation depends on contract context and the expected ABI. A familiar event signature is not proof of asset legitimacy or economic intent. Retain block, transaction and log identity so a later decoding correction can be traced to the original observation.
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Topic
An indexed 32-byte value in an event log. For a conventional non-anonymous event, topic zero identifies the event signature, while other topics contain indexed arguments. The ABI determines how those values should be interpreted. Do not decode a topic in isolation and assign economic meaning without the emitting contract and transaction context. Preserve undecoded topics when interpretation remains unknown. Keep the original encoded observation available.
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Reorg
A change in the accepted chain view that replaces previously observed block context. Applications consuming recent data need a policy for superseded observations and affected derived records. Keep old block identity and replacement relationships rather than silently overwriting evidence. A transaction hash alone does not establish permanent inclusion. Reimport and correction handling should remain idempotent so replacements do not become duplicate financial movements.
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Finality
The condition under which an application treats chain inclusion as sufficiently settled for a workflow. The policy must be network-specific and appropriate to the consequences of a later change. A preview and a finalized report may use different rules. Retain policy version and block context. Processing completion does not independently establish finality, and a universal confirmation count should not be assumed across networks.
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Atomic amount
An integer quantity expressed in the asset’s smallest represented unit before display scaling. Preserve it as an exact integer string across JSON and storage boundaries. Apply decimals only when interpreting or formatting the amount. A monetary valuation is a separate observation requiring price evidence. An exact token quantity can therefore coexist with an unknown price without either field being inconsistent or defective.
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CAIP-10
A chain-qualified account identifier format that combines account identity with explicit blockchain context. It helps avoid treating identical address strings on different networks as one globally interchangeable account. The identifier does not establish ownership, coverage or asset holdings by itself. Use it alongside the observation scope and references. A strong identity format prevents one class of joins but does not replace validation of the underlying data.
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Coverage
A statement of what an observation examined: range, assets, movement kinds and relevant gaps. It is separate from HTTP success, job completion and pagination. A useful partial result preserves known observations while explaining what remains unexamined. Store coverage with exports and reports, including empty results, so a downstream consumer does not infer completeness from the number of returned rows or a successful import message.
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Missing range
An interval within the requested scope that could not be observed under the data contract. It should remain explicit rather than silently shorten the request or become a no-activity finding. Retain the requested boundaries, missing boundaries and reason where known. A later source revision can fill the interval, but the previous partial observation should remain explainable to consumers that already used it.
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Provenance
The context linking a result to its supporting observations and interpretation steps. It can include chain references, source revision and decoder version. Provenance helps a reviewer inspect how an answer was produced, but it is not an automatic guarantee of complete history or correct financial meaning. Preserve it with derived records so later corrections can identify affected interpretations without erasing the original evidence.
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Idempotency
The property that repeating one logical operation does not create another independent effect. For imports, stable transaction and movement identities help prevent duplicate destination records. For paid processing, the request contract must define operation identity and retry semantics. A timeout does not prove no work occurred. Persist page data before advancing its checkpoint and reconcile uncertain outcomes under an explicit rule.
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Cursor
An opaque continuation value for a paginated query. It should be reused only with the original query scope and under the source’s documented revision semantics. Do not reconstruct it from display order or modify its contents. An exhausted cursor means the page sequence ended; it does not establish complete trace coverage, asset discovery or lifetime history. Store the checkpoint only after destination persistence succeeds.
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Receipt
The execution-outcome context associated with a transaction, including supported status and log observations. It is distinct from the submitted transaction envelope and from a full execution trace. A failed execution can still have fee consequences. Preserve the outcome when interpreting movements so attempted state changes are not counted as completed transfers. Historical receipt semantics should be interpreted under the relevant protocol era.
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Trace
An execution-level representation used to inspect calls and supported value paths within a transaction. Trace formats and scope need a documented contract. A call frame is not automatically a successful financial movement, and missing traces are not evidence that no internal value moved. Preserve outcome, path identity and source context before deriving records. Token logs and receipts answer related but different observation questions.
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Asset identity
The technical key identifying the asset being observed, including its network and contract or native-asset type. A symbol is a display label and is not sufficient for a safe join. Preserve identity through aggregation, exports and metadata corrections. A portfolio may group related instruments under an explicit mapping, but that derived relationship must not erase the original keys needed for reconciliation and evidence review.
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Null price
An explicit absence of a defensible valuation observation. It is different from a confirmed zero price and should not be multiplied into a portfolio total as zero. Keep quantity evidence and price evidence separate. A known-valued subtotal can remain useful if its exclusions and quote context are visible. Missing valuation does not invalidate an exact token amount or establish that the asset is worthless.
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Reconciliation
A comparison of observations under matched identities, units and boundaries. For balances, compare opening state, supported movements and closing state while retaining the residual. A difference identifies a question, not its own cause. Investigate coverage, cutoffs and token behavior before proposing a correction. If an application adjustment is needed, label it as such rather than inventing an on-chain event to force agreement.
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Rebasing token
A token whose balance representation can change through contract-specific accounting behavior beyond a simple holder-to-holder transfer model. The exact mechanics require evaluation of the relevant contract and period. A transfer-only reconstruction may therefore drift from observed state. Preserve the residual and supporting observations; do not label every unexplained difference a rebase without evidence or insert a fabricated transfer to make totals agree.
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Fee-on-transfer token
A token implementation where a requested transfer and the receiver’s net observation can differ under contract-specific rules. Preserve call arguments, supported movements and state deltas separately. Do not guess a fee destination or burn leg from the residual alone. A decoder should explain its evidence and version so a later improved interpretation does not duplicate a previously imported movement or hide an unresolved difference.
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Unknown interpretation
A retained observation whose meaning cannot yet be justified under the supported decoder or evidence scope. Unknown is different from no activity, invalid data or a confirmed negative finding. Keep references and a review reason so a later revision can add an explanation. A clean-looking dataset that silently removes unknowns can be less useful for reporting than a partial dataset whose limits remain visible.
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Snapshot
A state observation for a defined asset scope at a cutoff. It answers what was held under that scope, while transaction history describes supported activity across an interval. A snapshot does not explain every movement that produced the state, and a transfer list does not automatically reconstruct every token’s balance. Retain both when reconciling, with matching chain, wallet, contract identity and block context.
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