SMS verification glossary

The terms around SMS verification and crypto payment, defined plainly.

The basics

Virtual number: A phone number that receives SMS into software rather than a handset. Rented for a period, then returned to the pool.
One-time password (OTP): A short code, valid once and briefly, sent to prove you control a phone number or an account.
SMS verification: Confirming an identity or a signup by sending a code to a phone number and asking for it back.
Disposable number: A number rented long enough to receive one code, then released.
Number rental: Holding the same number for days or months, so a service can re-verify you later.
Dial code: The international prefix identifying a country, such as +49 for Germany.

KYC: Know Your Customer: the identity checks a business runs before serving you. OTPDrop runs none.
Seed phrase: A sequence of words that is the entire account. Whoever holds it controls the account, and losing it loses the account permanently.
Two-factor authentication (2FA): A second proof beyond a password or seed, usually a code from an authenticator app.
TOTP: Time-based One-Time Password: the six digits an authenticator app rotates every 30 seconds.

Stablecoin: A cryptocurrency pegged to a currency, usually the dollar, so its value does not move between quote and payment.
Network: The chain a token travels on. The same token exists on several, and sending on the wrong one loses the funds.
Confirmation: A transaction being included in a block and accepted. Deposits are credited after it.
Deposit address: The address issued for one top-up. Each top-up gets its own.

API: An interface for software rather than people. Ours is documented at /api.
MCP: Model Context Protocol: a standard letting an AI agent call tools directly. Our server is at /mcp.
agent.json: A machine-readable card describing what a service offers and how to use it.
llms.txt: A plain-text orientation file written for language models reading a site.