COMMON CRYPTO TERMS AND SLANG

HODL

• Definition: A misspelling of "hold," it means keeping your crypto assets despite market dips, believing they’ll rise in value long-term.

• Example: "I’m HODLing my Bitcoin through this crash!"

• Origin: From a 2013 Bitcointalk forum post where a user drunkenly typed "I AM HODLING."

FOMO

• Definition: Fear Of Missing Out; the anxiety of missing a profitable crypto investment as prices skyrocket.

• Example: "I bought at the peak because of FOMO—bad move."

• Note: Common during bull runs when prices surge.

FUD

• Definition: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt; negative news or rumors spread to scare investors into selling, often to manipulate prices.

• Example: "That article about a crypto ban is just FUD—don’t panic-sell."

• Note: Often countered with “Do Your Own Research” (DYOR).

Moon/Mooning

• Definition: When a cryptocurrency’s price skyrockets dramatically, often used aspirationally.

• Example: "XPR is mooning—up 50% today!"

• Note: Paired with rocket emojis (🚀) on X.

Bagholder

• Definition: Someone stuck holding a cryptocurrency after its price crashes, hoping it recovers.

• Example: "I’m a bagholder for that meme coin—down 80%."

• Note: Implies regret or denial about selling at a loss.

Whale

• Definition: A wealthy investor or entity holding large amounts of crypto, capable of influencing market prices with their trades.

• Example: "A whale just dumped 10,000 BTC—market’s tanking!"

• Note: Often tracked via on-chain data.

Pump and Dump

• Definition: A scheme where a group artificially inflates a coin’s price (pump) to attract buyers, then sells off (dump), crashing the price.

• Example: "That coin was a pump and dump—stay away."

• Note: Illegal in regulated markets, common in low-cap coins.

Rekt

• Definition: Short for "wrecked," meaning suffering major financial losses from a bad trade or market crash.

• Example: "I bought at the top and got rekt."

• Origin: Gaming slang, now crypto staple.

DYOR

• Definition: Do Your Own Research; advice to investigate a project before investing, rather than trusting hype.

• Example: "Looks promising, but DYOR before buying."

• Note: Often paired with “Not Financial Advice” (NFA).

Shill

• Definition: Aggressively promoting a cryptocurrency to boost its price, often for personal gain, without disclosing bias.

• Example: "He’s shilling that coin on X—probably owns a ton."

• Note: Can be influencers or random users; frowned upon if deceptive.

Lambo

• Definition: Short for Lamborghini, symbolizing the dream of getting rich quick from crypto gains.

• Example: "When XPR moons, I’m buying a Lambo!"

• Note: Used jokingly, tied to crypto’s get-rich culture.

Dip

• Definition: A temporary price drop, often seen as a buying opportunity.

• Example: "I’m buying the dip before it moons."

• Note: Opposite of a “pump.”

Rug Pull

• Definition: A scam where developers abandon a project and disappear with investors’ funds, leaving the coin worthless.

• Example: "That DeFi project was a rug pull—lost everything."

• Note: Common in unregulated DeFi and meme coins.

Gas

• Definition: Fees paid to process transactions or run smart contracts, especially on Ethereum.

• Example: "Gas fees are insane—$50 for a swap!"

• Note: Doesn’t apply to fee-less chains like XPR.

ATH/ATL

• Definition: All-Time High (ATH) or All-Time Low (ATL); the highest or lowest price a coin has ever reached.

• Example: "Bitcoin hit its ATH at $108,000 last year!"

• Note: Used to gauge market sentiment.

Paper Hands

• Definition: Someone who sells their crypto at the first sign of a price drop, lacking conviction.

• Example: "Paper hands sold at a 10% dip—weak!"

• Note: Opposite of “Diamond Hands” (strong holders).

DeFi

• Definition: Decentralized Finance; apps and protocols for lending, borrowing, or trading without intermediaries, often using crypto.

• Example: "I’m staking my XPR in a DeFi pool for 10% APY."

• Note: Not slang but a key term beginners might miss.

NGMI/WAGMI

• Definition: Not Gonna Make It (NGMI) or We’re All Gonna Make It (WAGMI); pessimistic or optimistic outlooks on crypto success.

• Example: "Sell now and you’re NGMI—WAGMI if we HODL!"

• Note: Popular on X for community morale.

Ape

• Definition: To impulsively invest heavily in a coin or NFT, often driven by hype or FOMO.

• Example: "I aped into that meme coin—hope it pays off."

• Note: Common in NFT and low-cap coin communities.

Wen

• Definition: Shorthand for “when,” used to impatiently ask about a coin’s price surge or project milestone.

• Example: "Wen moon for XPR?!"

• Note: Often sarcastic, seen on X and Telegram.

KYC

• Definition: Know Your Customer. A verifiable way using your identification cards to register on certain crypto exchanges and websites

• Example: "Before I could make my crypto account, Binance asked me to complete KYC."

• Note: Most exchanges are switching over to making KYC mandatory as there are few non-KYC platforms left in existence due to regulation. 

Disclaimer: This article is meant for general information purposes only and is not investment advice. Investment in cryptocurrency is very risky.

#WeOn