# Whitepaper > A document that explains how a crypto project works and why it should exist. Canonical URL: https://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://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://fudfomo.co/glossary/tokenomics): The economic design of a token: total supply, how it is distributed, and how it changes over time. - [ICO](https://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