# Trustless

> A system where users do not need to trust each other or a central party for it to work as expected.

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

## Definition

Trustless does not mean nobody trusts anything. It means the rules of a system are enforced by code and cryptography, not by a central party. You still trust that the code is correct and that the underlying chain is secure.

The benefit is that you do not have to rely on a counterparty to honour an agreement; the protocol does it automatically.

## Related terms

- [Permissionless](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/permissionless): A property of a system where anyone can use it or join without asking permission.
- [Immutable](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/immutable): Cannot be changed once recorded. The standard property of confirmed blockchain history.
- [Smart Contract](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/smart-contract): A program that runs on a blockchain and does what it says, automatically.
- [Blockchain](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/blockchain): A shared digital record of transactions that no single person or company controls. Everyone can read it, and changes are extremely hard to fake.

## 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