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Glossary

Comprehensive definitions of key terms used throughout reply.cash documentation. Each term includes a definition, source links, and quick links to relevant documentation pages.

A​

Airtel Money​

A mobile money service provided by Airtel Africa, allowing users to send, receive, and store money using their mobile phones. Available in multiple African countries including Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, and DR Congo. Airtel Money is typically the second-largest mobile money service in countries where it operates, providing an alternative to market leaders like M-Pesa or MTN Mobile Money.

Key Features:

  • Wallet-based system linked to phone number
  • Agent network for cash deposits and withdrawals
  • Merchant payments and bill payments
  • Bank transfer integration
  • Cross-network transfers in some countries

Market Position:

  • Kenya: ~15-20% market share, ~5 million users
  • Uganda: ~20-25% market share
  • Ghana: Available as AirtelTigo Money (~20-25% market share)
  • Malawi: Growing presence
  • DR Congo: Active service

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Anonymity Set​

The number of other users in a privacy pool at the time of your transaction. In privacy protocols like Privacy Cash, the anonymity set represents how many other deposits are mixed with yours in the privacy pool. A larger anonymity set provides better privacy because your transaction is mixed with more other transactions, making it harder for observers to identify which deposit corresponds to which withdrawal.

Understanding Anonymity Sets:

  • Small (1-10): Lower privacy - easier to potentially link deposits and withdrawals
  • Medium (10-100): Moderate privacy - reasonable protection
  • Large (100+): High privacy - very difficult to link transactions

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

B​

Blockchain​

A distributed ledger technology that maintains a continuously growing list of records (blocks) that are linked and secured using cryptography. reply.cash uses blockchain technology (primarily Solana) to process stablecoin transactions.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Bank Transfer​

A method of transferring money directly from one bank account to another. reply.cash supports bank transfers in Kenya and Nigeria, allowing users to send stablecoins that are converted to local currency and deposited into bank accounts.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Burner Wallet​

A temporary cryptocurrency wallet that is created, used for a short period (typically a week or less), and then discarded. Burner wallets are designed to enhance privacy and security by breaking transaction links and limiting exposure of funds.

Key Characteristics:

  • Temporary: Used for a short period, then discarded
  • Disposable: Not meant for long-term storage
  • Privacy-focused: Helps break transaction links between payments
  • Limited funds: Only contains what you need for the period (typically one week's budget)
  • Fresh addresses: Not connected to your main wallet

Best Practices:

  • Only fund with one week's worth of budget
  • Keep burner wallets on mobile phone for convenience
  • Use up funds and discard wallet when done
  • Create fresh burner wallet each period
  • Don't reuse burner wallets after discarding

Privacy Benefits:

  • Fresh wallet addresses aren't linked to your main wallet
  • Only funds you transfer to burner wallet are exposed
  • Discarding wallet breaks transaction links
  • Harder to track payment patterns

Security Benefits:

  • Limited risk - only burner wallet funds are at risk if compromised
  • Isolated from main wallet
  • Easy to replace when needed

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

C​

Claim Protocol​

Note: This term refers to wallet-to-wallet transfers where recipients need to claim funds. For mobile money and bank deposits (the primary use case), funds are deposited directly - no claiming required.

For wallet-to-wallet transfers, recipients may need to claim funds sent to their wallet address. However, reply.cash primarily focuses on direct deposits to mobile money and bank accounts where no claiming is needed.

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Cross-Border Payments​

Financial transactions where the sender and recipient are located in different countries. reply.cash enables cross-border payments by converting stablecoins to local currencies and settling on local payment rails.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Cross-Chain​

The ability to transfer assets or data between different blockchain networks. reply.cash uses NEAR Intents to enable cross-chain topups (adding funds from other chains to your Solana wallet) and cross-chain wallet-to-wallet transfers. The primary blockchain for all transactions is Solana.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

G​

Gas Fees​

Transaction fees paid to process and validate transactions on a blockchain network. On Solana, gas fees are minimal (typically less than $0.01 per transaction). reply.cash requires a small amount of SOL for gas fees when sending transactions.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

L​

Local Rails​

Local payment infrastructure and networks used for financial transactions in a specific country or region. This includes mobile money networks (like M-Pesa), banking systems, and other local payment methods. reply.cash settles payments on local rails, converting stablecoins to local currency.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

M​

M-Pesa​

A mobile money service launched by Safaricom in Kenya in 2007. M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money, and pay for goods and services using a mobile phone. It's one of the most successful mobile money implementations globally.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Mobile Money​

A financial service that allows users to store, send, and receive money using a mobile phone. Mobile money services are particularly popular in Africa and other developing regions where traditional banking access is limited. reply.cash supports multiple mobile money networks across Africa.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Mobile Network Operator (MNO)​

A telecommunications company that provides mobile phone services and often operates mobile money services. Examples include Safaricom (M-Pesa), MTN (MTN Mobile Money), and Airtel (Airtel Money).

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

MTN Mobile Money​

A mobile money service provided by MTN Group, one of Africa's largest mobile network operators. Available in multiple African countries including Ghana and Uganda. MTN Mobile Money allows users to send, receive, and store money using their mobile phones without requiring a traditional bank account.

Key Features:

  • Wallet-based system linked to phone number
  • Agent network for cash deposits and withdrawals
  • Merchant payments and bill payments
  • Bank transfer integration

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

N​

NEAR Intents​

A technology developed by NEAR Protocol that enables seamless cross-chain transactions and interactions. reply.cash uses NEAR Intents for cross-chain topups (adding funds from other chains to your Solana wallet) and cross-chain wallet-to-wallet transfers. reply.cash's primary blockchain is Solana, and NEAR Intents enables users to top up their Solana wallet from 25+ other blockchain networks.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

NUBAN (Nigerian Uniform Bank Account Number)​

The standardized 10-digit bank account number format used by all banks in Nigeria. NUBAN was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria to standardize account numbering across all Nigerian banks, making it easier to identify and verify bank accounts.

Format:

  • Exactly 10 digits
  • Example: 0123456789
  • Used by all Nigerian banks

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

P​

PayBill​

A payment method in M-Pesa (Kenya) that allows customers to pay bills, invoices, and make payments that require an account or reference number. PayBill is best suited for rent payments, school fees, utilities, subscriptions, and loan repayments where reconciliation is important.

Key Features:

  • Requires mandatory account/reference number
  • Better for invoice-based payments
  • Easier reconciliation for merchants
  • More steps for payer (enter PayBill number + account)

Usage Frequency: Approximately 25-35% of merchant payments in Kenya

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Pochi la Biashara​

A phone-number based payment method in M-Pesa (Kenya) designed for micro-merchants who want business payments via phone number. Pochi la Biashara allows customers to send money directly to a merchant's phone number without needing a Till or PayBill number.

Key Features:

  • Phone-number based payments
  • No Till or PayBill number required
  • Easy onboarding for small merchants
  • Good for informal sellers and freelancers

Usage Frequency: Approximately 3-7% of merchant payments in Kenya, niche but growing

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Progressive Web App (PWA)​

A web application that uses modern web capabilities to provide a native app-like experience. reply.cash is built as a PWA, allowing users to access it through a web browser while providing features like offline functionality and the ability to add to home screen.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

R​

Real-Time Payments​

Payment transactions that are processed and settled quickly. reply.cash enables real-time payments by converting stablecoins to local currency and settling on local payment rails, with most mobile money transactions completing in 1-5 minutes and bank transfers in 1-3 business days.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Remittances​

Money transfers sent by migrant workers to their home countries. reply.cash facilitates remittances by enabling low-cost, fast transfers of stablecoins to mobile money accounts and banks in Africa, reducing the high fees typically associated with traditional remittance services.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

S​

Swap Aggregator (DEX Aggregator)​

A service that searches across multiple decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and liquidity pools to find the best swap rates for token exchanges. Instead of manually checking each DEX, a swap aggregator automatically compares prices and routes swaps through the most efficient path, often splitting large swaps across multiple pools for optimal execution.

How Swap Aggregators Work:

  1. User initiates a swap (Token A → Token B)
  2. Aggregator searches all available DEXs and liquidity pools
  3. Compares prices across multiple sources
  4. Finds the best exchange rate
  5. Routes swap through optimal path (may split across multiple pools)
  6. Executes swap in a single transaction

Key Benefits:

  • ✅ Automatically finds best prices
  • ✅ Saves time (no manual DEX checking)
  • ✅ Better execution through smart routing
  • ✅ Lower slippage for large swaps
  • ✅ Single transaction for complex routes

Popular Swap Aggregators on Solana:

  • Jupiter - Most popular aggregator, used by reply.cash
  • Titus - Alternative aggregator with competitive rates
  • Dflow - Decentralized exchange aggregator

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Solana​

A high-performance blockchain network designed for scalability and low transaction costs. reply.cash primarily uses Solana for processing stablecoin transactions, taking advantage of its fast confirmation times (1-2 seconds) and minimal gas fees.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

STK Push (SIM Toolkit Push)​

A secure payment authorization method used by M-Pesa (Kenya) that sends a push notification directly to a user's phone to confirm and authorize transactions. STK Push enables secure mobile payments without requiring credit cards or bank accounts, using two-factor authentication (phone + M-Pesa PIN).

How STK Push Works:

  1. Merchant/App initiates payment request
  2. M-Pesa sends push notification to user's phone
  3. User reviews payment details (merchant, amount)
  4. User enters M-Pesa PIN to authorize
  5. Payment is processed and confirmed via SMS

Key Features:

  • ✅ Two-factor authentication (phone + PIN)
  • ✅ No card details required
  • ✅ Direct authorization on phone
  • ✅ Encrypted communication
  • ✅ Real-time verification
  • ✅ Used for online payments, apps, and websites

Use Cases:

  • Online purchases and app payments
  • Quick top-ups and onramps
  • Secure mobile transactions
  • Merchant payments without physical presence

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

Stablecoins​

Cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value, typically pegged to a fiat currency like the US Dollar. The most common stablecoins are USDC (USD Coin) and USDT (Tether), both of which are supported by reply.cash. Stablecoins combine the benefits of cryptocurrency (fast, global, digital) with price stability.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

T​

Till (Buy Goods)​

A payment method in M-Pesa (Kenya) that allows customers to make fast, in-person payments to merchants without requiring an account or reference number. Till is the most popular M-Pesa payment method, ideal for retail shops, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and fuel stations.

Key Features:

  • Fastest checkout experience
  • No account/reference number required
  • Simple for customers
  • Best for in-person retail transactions

Usage Frequency: Approximately 50-60% of in-person merchant payments in Kenya (most frequent)

Downside: Reconciliation can be harder if you need to match payment to an invoice/customer because there's no mandatory "account number" field.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

U​

UPI (Unified Payments Interface)​

A real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). UPI enables instant money transfers between bank accounts using a mobile phone. While primarily used in India, UPI-like systems are being adopted in other countries.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

USDC (USD Coin)​

A fully-reserved stablecoin pegged to the US Dollar, issued by Circle. USDC is one of the most trusted stablecoins and is supported on multiple blockchain networks. reply.cash uses USDC on Solana (SPL token) as the primary asset, with cross-chain topups available from other chains via NEAR Intents.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

USDT (Tether)​

A stablecoin pegged to the US Dollar, issued by Tether Limited. USDT is one of the largest stablecoins by market capitalization and is widely used for cryptocurrency trading and payments. reply.cash uses USDT on Solana (SPL token) as a primary asset, with cross-chain topups available from other chains via NEAR Intents.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

W​

Wallet​

A digital tool that allows users to store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies. reply.cash requires senders to have a Solana wallet (like Phantom, Solflare, or Backpack) with USDC balance. Recipients don't need a wallet as funds are deposited directly to mobile money or bank accounts.

Sources:

📚 Quick Links to Documentation

This glossary is regularly updated. If you notice a term that should be included, please contact us or submit an issue.