Whitepaper
A white paper is an in-depth technical document report that aims to educate the reader on a particular issue, or explain a particular methodology or solution; in the crypto-world white paper often refers to the document issued by companies priori to their ICO or STO informing the reader of the purpose of the ICO or STO and the technology behind it, in which case the white paper could be argued to be a tool to help the company sell the cryptocurrencies.
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper is the first document researchers should read to better understand a core concept or idea.
The term originated in the 1920s to mean a type of position paper or industry report published by some department of the UK government.
Since the 1990s, this type of document has proliferated in business. Today, a business-to-business (B2B) white paper is closer to a marketing presentation, a form of content meant to persuade customers and partners and promote a certain product or viewpoint. That makes B2B white papers a type of grey literature.
