Creator Economy Glossary
Understand the language of Creator crowdfunding. 200+ terms explained in plain English.
Key Terms
Channel Revenue Token (CRT)
A security representing rights to a share of potential future YouTube channel revenue.
Regulation CF (SEC)
SEC Regulation Crowdfunding allows companies like GigaStar to offer CRTs to both accredited and non-accredited Investors, up to $5M annually.
Revenue Share
The percentage of YouTube revenue that flows to CRT holders based on their investment.
Secondary Market
GigaStar's SEC-registered Alternative Trading System where CRT holders may buy and sell their positions.
YouTube Partner Program
YouTube monetization program that allows creators to earn revenue from ads, memberships, and more.
Accredited Investor
An investor meeting certain income or net worth thresholds, allowing access to certain investments.
%
% All
This is how much this CRT's price has changed since you first bought it. This shows your total gain or loss so far.
% Change
The amount of the CRT's price change compared to the last trading session, shown as a percentage.
% Day
This is how much this CRT's price went up or down today compared to the last trading session.
A
Accredited Investor
An individual or entity meeting SEC-defined financial thresholds — typically annual income over $200,000 ($300,000 with spouse) or net worth over $1 million excluding primary residence — granting access to certain private investment offerings.
Alternative Investment
An investment outside traditional stocks, bonds, and cash. CRTs represent an alternative investment in the Creator Economy with unique risk characteristics.
Alternative Trading System
An Alternative Trading System (ATS) is an SEC-registered trading venue. GigaStar Securities LLC, dba GigaStar Trading, will operate a digital Alternative Trading System (ATS) for secondary Channel Revenue Token (CRT) trading, launching in 2026.
Annual ROI
Annual Return on Investment — the percentage gain or loss on an investment measured over a one-year period. For Channel Revenue Tokens, annual ROI reflects cumulative monthly distributions received relative to the original investment amount.
Ask Price
The lowest price someone is willing to sell their CRT for.
Ask Quantity (Ask Qty)
This is how many CRTs are currently for sale at the Ask price.
Asset Class
A category of investments sharing similar characteristics and market behavior. CRTs represent a new asset class: Creator Economy securities.
Available Cash (USD)
The current balance of U.S. dollars in your account that you can use to buy CRTs right now.
Available to Sell
This is how many CRTs you are able to sell right now.
Available USDC
Available USDC is the amount of USDC in your account.
B
Bid Price
The price a buyer is willing to pay for a CRT on the GigaStar Secondary Market. The highest current bid sets the market bid price for that token.
Bid Quantity (Qty)
The number of CRT tokens a buyer wants to purchase at their listed bid price.
Broker-Dealer
A firm registered with the SEC and FINRA authorized to buy and sell securities on behalf of customers or for its own account. GigaStar Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer operating the ATS for secondary CRT trading.
C
Channel Revenue Token (CRT)
A digital asset that represents a percentage of a YouTube channel’s future revenue. A CRT becomes tradable in the secondary market after a 12-month holding period from its initial purchase.
Channel Strike
A penalty issued by YouTube for community guideline or copyright violations. Accumulating strikes can lead to demonetization or channel termination, impacting CRT holders.
Close (Prior Close)
The last price a CRT was sold for in the prior trading session.
Community Round
A CRT offering structure where a Creator's existing audience and community can invest alongside other Investors through GigaStar Market under SEC Regulation CF.
CPM (Cost Per Mille)
The amount advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions on a YouTube video. CPM is a key metric that influences how much revenue a Creator's channel generates from advertising.
Creator
A Creator is a YouTube content producer who partners with GigaStar to offer Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs), sharing a percentage of their YouTube revenue with Investors through Monthly distributions.
Creator Capital
Funding that Creators raise through GigaStar Market CRT offerings to invest in channel growth, equipment, team hiring, and content production.
Creator Economy
The Creator Economy is the ecosystem of content Creators who monetize through platforms like YouTube, representing a new alternative investment asset class accessible through GigaStar.
Creator Loan (Common Misconception)
A common misconception about CRT offerings. Channel Revenue Tokens are NOT loans. Creators do not repay Investors directly—distributions come from a share of YouTube revenue.
Creator Risk
The risk that a Creator's YouTube channel performance could decline, reducing or eliminating Monthly distributions to CRT holders.
Crowdfunding
Raising capital from many individual Investors through an online platform. GigaStar uses SEC Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) for CRT offerings.
D
Day
A buy or sell order that is only active for that trading day. If it does not get filled by the end of the day, it automatically cancels.
Demonetization
When YouTube restricts or removes ad revenue from a Creator's content due to policy violations or guideline changes. This can reduce or eliminate CRT distributions.
Disclosure
Required information provided to Investors, including financial statements, risk factors, and offering terms in the Form C filing and related documents.
Distribution
A distribution is a Monthly payment made to Channel Revenue Token (CRT) holders, representing their share of a YouTube Creator's revenue earned during that period.
Diversification
Spreading investments across multiple CRT offerings to reduce risk. No single Creator position should represent an outsized portion of an Investor's portfolio.
Due Diligence
The research and analysis an Investor should perform before purchasing CRTs, including reviewing Form C, Creator metrics, and risk factors.
E
F
Fill Quantity
This shows how much of your trading order has been completed. For example, (5/10) means 5 out of 10 CRTs have been filled so far.
FINRA
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The self-regulatory organization overseeing broker-dealers and funding portals in the United States.
Form C
An SEC filing required for all Regulation Crowdfunding offerings. Contains offering details, financial statements, and risk factors for Investor review.
Funding Goal
The target amount a Creator aims to raise through their CRT offering on GigaStar Market. If the minimum goal is not met by the deadline, all Investor funds are returned.
Funding Portal
An SEC-registered, FINRA-member entity that facilitates securities offerings under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). GigaStar Market is a registered funding portal.
G
GigaStar Market
GigaStar Market is an SEC-registered funding portal and FINRA member where Investors can purchase Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs) in primary offerings from YouTube Creators.
GigaStar Portfolio
The portfolio dashboard on GigaStar's platform showing an Investor's CRT holdings, Monthly distribution history, and account activity.
GigaStar Secondary Market
GigaStar Trading is GigaStar's upcoming SEC-registered Alternative Trading System (ATS), where CRT holders may buy and sell their positions, launching in 2026.
GigaStar Securities
GigaStar Securities LLC (dba GigaStar Trading), is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member that operates a secondary market Digital Alternative Trading System (ATS) for the trading of Creator securities (CRTs).
GigaStar Trading
GigaStar Trading is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member that operates a secondary market Digital Alternative Trading System (ATS) for the trading of Creator securities (CRTs).
GTC (Good Till Canceled)
This is an order type that remains in effect from day-to-day until specifically canceled or filled.
H
I
Illiquidity
The condition of not being able to easily sell CRTs. During the mandatory 12-month holding period, CRTs are illiquid. Even after, liquidity on the Secondary Market is not guaranteed.
Implied Multiplier
The Implied Multiplier tells you how the current market price of a CRT compares to the yearly revenue it earns. It works a lot like a P/E ratio in the stock market; it's a quick way to judge whether a CRT looks fairly priced, undervalued, or expensive.
Investment Limits
SEC-mandated annual caps on how much non-accredited Investors can invest under Regulation Crowdfunding, based on income and net worth.
Investor
An Investor is an individual who purchases Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs) through GigaStar's platform, receiving Monthly distributions from a YouTube Creator's revenue.
K
L
Last Price
The most recent price a CRT was bought or sold for.
Last Qty (Last Quantity)
The number of CRTs that were part of the most recent trade.
Limit Order
An order where you set the exact price you want to buy or sell at. Your order will only go through at that price or better.
Liquidity
Liquidity is the ability to buy or sell CRTs. CRTs are illiquid during the 12-month holding period. GigaStar Trading may provide liquidity, but does not assure it.
M
Market Order
An instruction you give the platform to buy or sell a certain number of CRTs at a price you choose.
Maximum Raise
The maximum amount a Creator can raise in a single CRT offering under Regulation CF, currently up to $5 million annually through a registered funding portal like GigaStar Market.
MCN (Multi-Channel Network)
A third-party entity that manages and partners with multiple YouTube Creators. GigaStar is NOT an MCN—it is an SEC-registered securities platform and funding portal.
Minimum Investment
The smallest amount an Investor can invest in a single CRT offering on GigaStar Market. Offerings typically start at accessible minimums.
Monetization
The process of generating revenue from YouTube content through ads, memberships, Super Chat, and merchandise. A Creator's monetization status directly affects CRT distributions.
O
Offering
A CRT offering is when a YouTube Creator raises capital through GigaStar Market by selling Channel Revenue Tokens to Investors, with each offering backed by a Form C filed with the SEC.
Offering Documents
The legal filings associated with a CRT offering, including Form C, offering memorandum, and subscription agreement provided to Investors.
Offramping
Converting your USDC back into regular US dollars (or your local currency if outside of the US) so you can move it to your bank.
Onramping
Converting your regular US dollars (or local currency, if outside the US) into USDC.
Order
An instruction you give the platform to buy or sell a certain number of CRTs at a price you choose.
Order Side
Simply whether your order is a buy or a sell.
Order Type
The method used to fill your order.
P
Platform Risk
The risk that GigaStar's platform could face operational, financial, or regulatory challenges that may affect CRT holders and their investments.
Portfolio
An Investor's collection of CRT holdings across multiple Creator offerings. Diversification across Creators helps manage risk exposure.
Position
Shows the number of CRTs you currently own
Previous Close (Prev Close)
What this CRT's price was at the end of the last trading day.
Price Discovery
The process by which the GigaStar Secondary Market determines CRT pricing based on supply and demand dynamics, Creator performance metrics, and Investor sentiment.
Primary Market
The primary market is where new Channel Revenue Token (CRT) offerings are sold directly to Investors for the first time through GigaStar Market, the SEC-registered funding portal.
R
Revenue Advance
Upfront capital a Creator receives through a CRT offering in exchange for sharing a percentage of future YouTube revenue with Investors. This is not a loan.
Revenue Percentage
The specific percentage of a Creator's YouTube revenue shared with CRT holders through Monthly distributions. Varies by offering and is disclosed in the Form C.
Revenue Share
A revenue share is the percentage of a YouTube Creator's revenue that is distributed Monthly to Investors who hold Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs) purchased through GigaStar's platform.
Revenue-Share Term
The contractual period during which CRT holders receive Monthly distributions from a Creator's YouTube revenue, as specified in the offering documents.
Risk Factors
Risk factors are the specific risks associated with investing in CRTs, including Creator performance risk, platform risk, illiquidity, and the potential for total loss of investment.
RPM (Revenue Per Mille)
The amount a Creator earns per 1,000 video views after YouTube's share is deducted. RPM is more relevant than CPM for understanding actual Creator income and CRT distributions.
S
SEC
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The federal agency regulating securities markets, including GigaStar's CRT offerings under Regulation Crowdfunding.
SEC Regulation CF
SEC Regulation Crowdfunding (Regulation CF) is the federal securities framework that allows companies like GigaStar to offer CRTs to both accredited and non-accredited Investors, up to $5M annually.
Secondary Trading
Secondary trading is the buying and selling of Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs) on the GigaStar Secondary Market after the mandatory 12-month holding period has elapsed.
Settlement
The process of completing a CRT trade on the GigaStar Secondary Market, including the transfer of token ownership from seller to buyer and the corresponding payment.
Speculative Investment
An investment with high risk and uncertain outcome. CRTs are speculative—Investors may lose their entire investment and should invest accordingly.
Symbol
A short code that identifies a specific CRT, similar to a nickname.
T
Time in Force (TIF)
This term refers to how long an order will remain active on the platform, as indicated by the order type.
Tokenization
The process of representing a financial interest as a digital security. CRTs are tokenized securities regulated by the SEC—they are NOT cryptocurrency.
Total Account Value
This is how much your account is worth in total. It adds up the value of all the CRTs you own plus any cash you have sitting in your account.
Total Loss
Total loss means an Investor could lose their entire CRT investment. Channel Revenue Tokens are speculative securities with no assurance of distributions or capital preservation.
Tradable Assets
The total dollar value of all the CRTs you own that you can buy or sell on GigaStar Trading.
Trade
When an order is executed, it becomes a confirmed trade whereby ownership of the CTR is transferred.
Trading Volume
The number of CRTs traded on the GigaStar Secondary Market during a given period. Higher volume generally indicates greater market activity and potentially better liquidity.
Y
YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) enables Creators to monetize their channels through ads and other features. YPP membership is required for Creators offering CRTs on GigaStar.
YouTube Revenue
YouTube revenue is the income a Creator earns through the YouTube Partner Program from ads, memberships, Super Chat, and other monetization features, forming the basis for CRT distributions.
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