# Whitepaper

> A document that explains how a crypto project works and why it should exist.

Canonical URL: https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/whitepaper
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

A whitepaper is the founding document of a crypto project. It usually describes the problem the project is trying to solve, how the technology works, and how the token will be distributed.

A serious whitepaper is technical and specific. A weak one focuses on price predictions and brand. The original Bitcoin whitepaper, only nine pages long, is still considered a model of the form.

## Related terms

- [Bitcoin](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/bitcoin): The first cryptocurrency. A digital money you can send anywhere in the world without a bank, secured by a network of computers.
- [Tokenomics](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/tokenomics): The economic design of a token: total supply, how it is distributed, and how it changes over time.
- [ICO](https://business.fudfomo.co/glossary/ico): Initial coin offering. An early sale where a project raises money by selling its new token.

## See the full catalogue

What The Block! covers more than 2,000 plain-English crypto terms, delivered as embeddable hover-state tooltips for crypto exchanges. https://wtb.fudfomo.co