Definition
ASIC-resistant is a term used to refer to the property of a cryptocurrency that is susceptible to mining by ASIC miners.
Understanding the Term
ASIC-resistance is a design feature that has been implemented on some Proof-of-Work (PoW) blockchains to prevent them from being dominated by application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners.
In other words, an ASIC-resistant cryptocurrency has a protocol and algorithm configured so that it’s difficult for an ASIC to take full advantage of mining capabilities. Ethereum is a classic example of a cryptocurrency built to deter ASIC mining. Even if someone tries to use an ASIC to mine the coin, it’s usually very inefficient in terms of time and cost to do so.
Takeaway
ASIC-resistant is the property of a cryptocurrency that is “immune” to ASIC mining.