All the crypto slang you need to sound like you know what you're doing
New to crypto memecoins and feeling lost in all the strange language? Don't worry, future trader! This guide will help you understand what everyone is talking about in those Telegram groups. Memorize these terms and you'll be navigating the crypto space like a pro in no time!
HODL: Originally a typo of "HOLD" that became a backronym for "Hold On for Dear Life." It means to keep your coins through volatility instead of selling.
"The market is crashing but I'm gonna HODL these bags until Lambo or zero!"
Pro tip: True degens often HODL through -99% drops and still won't sell. This is both admired and ridiculed in the community.
Diamond Hands (💎👐): The ability to hold through extreme price volatility without selling. Named because diamonds are formed under pressure.
Paper Hands (🧻👐): Selling quickly at the first sign of trouble due to fear or weak conviction. Paper tears easily under pressure.
"Bro had paper hands and sold at the first 20% dip, then the coin did a 50x. Classic."
Fun fact: The longer you hold as a price drops, the stronger your diamond hands are considered. But if the token goes to zero, you're not diamond hands - you're just an idiot.
Ape/Aping In: To invest in a cryptocurrency impulsively, with little or no research, often with a large amount of capital relative to your portfolio.
"Just aped into this new memecoin with my entire portfolio. The logo is a frog smoking a cigarette, it's definitely gonna 100x!"
Warning: Aping is the primary cause of financial ruin in crypto, but also the source of legendary gains. High risk, high reward!
Bags: Your holdings in a particular cryptocurrency, especially when they're heavy (worth less than what you paid).
Bagholders: People still holding a coin whose value has significantly dropped.
"I'm still holding these heavy DOGE bags from 2021, down 80% but my diamond hands won't let go!"
Pro tip: If your bags are getting too heavy, sometimes it's better to cut losses and rotate into something with more potential. But what do we know? We're just apes with keyboards.
FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Negative information or opinions shared about a cryptocurrency, often seen as an attempt to manipulate the price downward.
"Don't listen to that FUD in the chat. They're just trying to get you to sell so they can buy cheaper!"
Reality check: Sometimes FUD is legitimate criticism that degens don't want to hear. Other times it's manipulation. Learn to tell the difference!
FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. The anxiety that drives people to buy a cryptocurrency because its price is rising rapidly, afraid they'll miss potential profits.
"I FOMO'd into that dog coin at the all-time high and now I'm down 90%. Classic degen move."
Degen wisdom: FOMO is the most expensive emotion in crypto. The best time to buy is usually when others are fearful, not when everyone is already excited.
Rugpull: When a developer/creator suddenly abandons a project and runs away with investor funds by withdrawing all liquidity from the trading pool.
"I went to sleep with $10k in that new frog token and woke up to $12. Classic rugpull, should've checked the contract."
Warning signs: Anonymous team, unlocked liquidity, large developer wallet allocation, promised "guaranteed returns" - all red flags that you might get rugged.
Pump and Dump: A coordinated effort to rapidly increase a token's price ("pump") through misinformation and hype, followed by selling at the inflated price ("dump"), leaving later buyers with losses.
"That influencer pumped the coin to his followers, then dumped his bags once the price was up 5x. Now everyone else is underwater."
Self-awareness moment: The name "pump.fun" is literally telling you what's happening. At least they're honest!
Hopium: The irrational hope or optimism that keeps investors believing their underwater investments will recover, despite evidence to the contrary.
"My portfolio is down 95% but I'm still on that hopium that we'll see another bull market and I'll recover everything."
Side effects of hopium include: checking prices every 5 minutes, joining Telegram groups with rocket emojis, and telling your family "we're still early."
Buy the Dip: Purchasing more of a cryptocurrency after its price has declined from a recent high, believing the drop is temporary.
"I bought the dip yesterday, then it dipped more, so I bought that dip too. Now I'm out of money and it's still dipping."
Advanced technique: The legendary "seven-layer dip" - buying at every 10% drop, only to realize it's actually a crash and not a dip.
Degen: Short for "degenerate," a self-identifying term for someone who engages in high-risk, often irrational cryptocurrency investing behaviors.
"I took out a loan to all-in on a memecoin named after Elon Musk's dog. Full degen mode activated."
The degen oath: "I promise to buy high, sell low, ignore fundamentals, ape into memecoins, and never learn from my mistakes. This is the way."
Moon: A metaphor for a cryptocurrency price rising dramatically in a short time.
To the Moon: The rallying cry of hopeful crypto investors expecting massive price increases.
"This coin is definitely going to the moon! The dev promised 1000x and the logo has laser eyes!"
Reality check: For every coin that goes to the moon, thousands crash and burn in the atmosphere. Pack your spacesuit accordingly.
Shitcoin: A cryptocurrency with little to no actual value or utility, often created as a joke or cash grab.
"I have a diverse portfolio: 10% Bitcoin, 20% Ethereum, and 70% random shitcoins named after food and animals."
Fun fact: Some of the biggest gains in crypto history have come from self-admitted shitcoins, proving that in this market, sometimes trash is treasure.
DCA: Dollar Cost Averaging. A responsible investment strategy where you invest a fixed amount at regular intervals, regardless of price.
"I've been DCAing into Bitcoin every week for a year instead of throwing my entire paycheck at whatever coin is pumping."
Note: This is probably the only actual responsible financial strategy mentioned in this entire FAQ. No true degen would follow it.
Wallet: A digital tool that allows you to store, send and receive cryptocurrencies.
Hot Wallet: Connected to the internet (mobile/web apps).
Cold Wallet: Offline storage (hardware wallets).
"I keep my serious investments in a cold wallet and my degen gambling money in a hot wallet for faster trading."
Pro tip: Never share your seed phrase (recovery words). Anyone asking for it is trying to steal your funds. No exceptions.
"Sir, this is a Wendy's": A meme response to someone who posts an overly long, emotional rant about price movements or their trading strategy.
User: *posts 500-word analysis of why the market is manipulated*
Reply: "Sir, this is a Wendy's."
Origin: Implies the person is behaving as if they're giving an intense speech to a fast-food employee who just asked for their order.
Degenerative Finance: A play on "Decentralized Finance (DeFi)" referring to high-risk, speculative financial activities in crypto.
"I'm farming this new yield with 10,000% APY. It's not DeFi, it's definitely DegFi, but the returns are insane!"
Warning: If the yield sounds too good to be true, it's probably about to implode. Classic DegFi.
Wojak: A simple, MS Paint-style meme of a bald, expressionless face used to represent different emotional states of traders.
Pepe: The green frog meme that has become a mascot for various crypto communities.
"Check out this Wojak meme of me panic selling right before the pump."
Cultural note: The "Feels Guy" Wojak with glowing red eyes ("Doomer") often represents the sleep-deprived crypto trader watching charts 24/7.
