Definition
A detailed technical document published by a cryptocurrency project that explains the technology, vision, token economics, and use case of the protocol. Bitcoin's whitepaper, published in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, is the most famous example.
Why It Matters
Reading a whitepaper is part of fundamental research (DYOR). Projects without whitepapers — or with vague ones — are major red flags.
Example
Satoshi Nakamoto's 2008 whitepaper 'Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' is a 9-page document that laid the foundation for the entire cryptocurrency industry.
Related Terms
Bitcoin
Blockchain
Tokenomics
Smart Contract