Blockchain confirmations are like the "Are you sure?" message that pops up when you're about to do something important or risky on your computer. Except instead of just making sure you really want to delete that file or install that update, they make sure your crypto transaction is legit and irreversible.
Basically, every time a new block gets added to the blockchain, all the transactions in that block get confirmed. Most exchanges and wallets require a certain number of confirmations before they'll consider a transaction fully processed. It's like a safety check to make sure you didn't fat-finger an extra zero or something.
Example
"I sent some Bitcoin to my friend an hour ago, but it still hasn't shown up in his wallet. How many confirmations do you think it needs before it goes through?"
"I heard that if you want to be really, really sure your transaction is final, you should wait for at least 6 confirmations. But ain't nobody got time for that - I need my crypto now!"
A blockchain bridge is like a portal between two different crypto worlds - it lets you move your tokens from one blockchain to another without having to sell them on an exchange first.
It's kind of like if you had a bunch of Monopoly money and you wanted to use it to buy something in a game of Life - you can't just hand over the colorful bills and expect the other players to accept them.
But if you had a special "Monopoly-to-Life converter," you could swap your Monopoly money for the equivalent amount of Life money, and vice versa. That's basically what a blockchain bridge does, but with crypto instead of board games.
Example
"I wanted to try out this new DeFi protocol on the Binance Smart Chain, but all my money was stuck on Ethereum. Thank god for blockchain bridges - I was able to move my tokens over in just a few clicks."
"I heard that there's a new blockchain bridge that lets you move your NFTs from Ethereum to Solana. Finally, I can take my overpriced JPEGs on a cross-chain adventure!"
Ah, the blockchain - the Holy Grail of crypto, the Alpha and Omega of decentralization, the...wait, what was I talking about again? Oh right, the blockchain.
At its core, a blockchain is just a big, fancy spreadsheet that everybody can see but nobody can change (unless they're a miner with a really powerful computer and a lot of free time).
It's like a giant game of "trust but verify" - you don't have to trust any one person or entity, because you can always check the blockchain to make sure everything's on the up and up.
Example
"I put my trust in the blockchain, because unlike my ex, it would never lie to me or steal my money."
"I tried to explain the blockchain to my grandpa, but he just kept asking me if it was some kind of newfangled Lego set. Bless his heart."
The block reward is like the pot of gold at the end of the crypto rainbow - it's the prize that miners get for being the first to solve the cryptographic puzzle and add a new block to the blockchain.
Back in the early days of Bitcoin, the block reward was a whopping 50 BTC. Can you imagine? That's like winning the lottery every 10 minutes. Of course, as more and more blocks got mined, the reward kept getting cut in half.
Nowadays, it's down to a measly 6.25 BTC. But hey, that's still more than most people make in a year, so who's complaining?
Example
"Did you hear about the new ASIC miner that just came out? It's supposed to be able to mine a whole block and get the reward all by itself. Talk about a game-changer."
"I remember when the block reward was 25 BTC. Those were the days, man. Now you're lucky if you can even afford a fraction of a Bitcoin with the reward."
In the crypto world, a block is like a page in a really boring book that nobody wants to read, but everybody needs to keep track of. It's a record of all the transactions that happened on the blockchain during a certain period of time.
Miners are like the overachieving students who volunteer to write each page of the book, and they get rewarded with a little bit of crypto for their hard work.
Once a block is written, it gets added to the end of the book, and the process starts all over again. It's like a never-ending story, but instead of fantastical adventures, it's just a bunch of nerds trading magic internet money.
Example
"I was trying to send some Bitcoin to my friend, but the transaction got stuck in the mempool for hours. I guess the miners were too busy working on the next block to deal with my measly little transaction."
"I heard that the new block just got mined, and it included a transaction for 10,000 BTC. Somebody's got deep pockets!"
Bitcoin stamps are like the crypto version of merit badges - you collect them to show off how much of a Bitcoin badass you are.
Essentially, Bitcoin stamps are unique pieces of digital artwork that can only be owned by people who meet certain criteria, like holding a certain amount of Bitcoin for a certain amount of time.
They're kind of like the grown-up version of those gold star stickers your teacher gave you in kindergarten - except instead of putting them on your chore chart, you put them in your cryptowallet to impress your internet friends.
Example
"Bro, check out my new Bitcoin stamp! It cost me 1 BTC and my left kidney, but it was totally worth it."
Bitcoin Runes is like the Stonehenge of the crypto world - it's ancient, mysterious, and nobody really knows what the hell it's for.
Just kidding, I have no idea what Bitcoin Runes is. Maybe it's some kind of fancy technical indicator for predicting price movements?
Or maybe it's just a cool name someone came up with to make their shitcoin sound more legit. Your guess is as good as mine.
Example
"I've been studying these Bitcoin Runes for hours, and I think I've finally cracked the code. Buy Doge, got it."
"Some guy on Reddit said that if you draw the Bitcoin Runes in goat blood under a full moon, Satoshi will appear and bless your cryptowallet. Seems legit."
