noun

whitepaper

WYT-pay-puhr

Whitepaper (noun) means a document published by the people behind a cryptocurrency or blockchain project that sets out what it is meant to do and how it is designed to work, usually including its technical structure and how its tokens are to be issued. Example: “Bitcoin's whitepaper was published in 2008 under the name Satoshi Nakamoto.”

noun

A document published by the people behind a cryptocurrency or blockchain project that sets out what it is meant to do and how it is designed to work, usually including its technical structure and how its tokens are to be issued.

"Bitcoin's whitepaper was published in 2008 under the name Satoshi Nakamoto."

"He read the whitepaper twice and still could not work out what the token was actually for."

In business and government generally, an authoritative report that explains an issue or a proposal and argues for a particular approach to it.

"The department published a whitepaper on energy pricing ahead of the consultation."

How to Use Whitepaper

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA document explaining what a crypto project is and how it is supposed to work.

When to use it

Written as one word (whitepaper) in crypto contexts and usually as two words (white paper) in government and corporate contexts. Both spellings are widely recognised.

Memory tip

A whitepaper is written by the project itself, so it describes the project's own intentions rather than an independent assessment of them.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

litepaper prospectus → roadmap →

Common pairings

read the whitepaper publish a whitepaper the Bitcoin whitepaper a technical whitepaper

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Bitcoin's _____ was published in 2008 under the name Satoshi Nakamoto.

Etymology

From white paper, a British government term for an official report presented to Parliament, so called from the plain white covers that distinguished such reports from other papers.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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technical paper project document litepaper report position paper policy document

Related Words

say tell story minutes report account record article

Rhymes for whitepaper

paper caper taper reaper diaper draper newspaper wallpaper sandpaper skyscraper

See all rhymes for whitepaper →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a whitepaper and a litepaper?

A whitepaper is the fuller document, typically including the technical design and the token model in detail. A litepaper is a shortened, simpler version aimed at readers who want the general idea without the technical sections. Some projects publish both, and the two should agree with each other.

Is a whitepaper the same as a prospectus?

No. A prospectus is a regulated disclosure document that must meet legal requirements set by a financial authority. A whitepaper carries no such obligation by default; it is written and published by the project on its own terms, and its contents are not verified by anyone else.

What was the Bitcoin whitepaper?

It was a nine-page document titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, circulated in 2008 under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. It described a system for transferring value between parties without a central intermediary. It is widely treated as the founding document of the field and set the pattern for later projects publishing whitepapers of their own.

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