Glossary

A reference of key terms and concepts used across the Metal API documentation.

Term	Definition
appcoin	Appcoins are tokens that are inherently linked to one (or more) end-user application or service. It signifies a connection between app and token, but does not imply control or ownership of the app.
coin	A crypto asset that represents value. Can be used interchangeably with token and appcoin.
distribute	The process of transferring tokens from the Reward Allocation to a holder. There will only be tokens in the Reward Allocation if you toggled this option on during token creation. Only the creator of the token can distribute tokens.
holder	Refers to an end-user of the merchant for whom a wallet was created with Get Or Create Holder. In other words, these are your authenticated users. It's possible for a holder to have a token balance of zero.
holderAddress	A unique address associated with your user to hold and manage token balances. Automatically created during when you call Get Or Create Holder.
liquidity	How easily a token can be bought or sold by open market participants without affecting its price.
liquidity creation	The process of deploying a liquidity pool, making the token discoverable and tradable for open market participants.
merchant	The entity that creates and manages tokens using Metal, in other words: you!
app vault	The account that holds 15% of the coin supply allocated to the app. This is where coins are stored for distribution to users for engagement and participation.
publicKey	A query parameter required in our GET endpoints to retrieve data client-side. You can find it in your Metal account.
secret API key	A private credential used to authenticate API requests. You can find it in your Metal account. Never expose your secret API key in client-side code.
token creation	Initiating the deployment of a token contract on the blockchain (Base). This token contract represents your appcoin. Note: Unlike many other token platforms, this does not include the deployment of a liquidity pool. Metal gives you the flexibility to initiate liquidity deployment at a later stage.
token spending	An action your app's users take to consume tokens from their holder balance. The tokens are transferred to your Reward Allocation (at which point you are free to distribute again).
token	A crypto asset that represents value. Can be used interchangeably with coin and appcoin.
userId	A unique identifier assigned by you to represent your users. It can be any stable string tied to your user system—such as an OAuth subject, internal user ID, or email.
withdrawing tokens	An action your app's users take to transfer tokens to an externally owned address of theirs. This must be an address they have access to on Base. Lost tokens cannot be recovered.