What the HODL??
Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and many more have taken over the news for the last few years. What many people don’t know is that there is a rich vocabulary in the world of digital currencies. And it can be exacerbating to beginners. Forums and subreddits are littered with terminology that baffles newbies. What are ‘whales’ if not massive water-dwelling mammals? What does ‘HODL’ actually mean?
Since crypto slang can seem a bit kabbalistic here’s a useful guide to help you with some words you might encounter.
HODL- both a typo and a meme. Legend says, a user told another bitcoin forum member to ‘HOLD,’ as in not to panic, but misspelled it as ‘HODL.’ It also turned out to be a useful acronym for ‘hold on for dear life.’
WHALE- someone who owns a lot of crypto, usually 5% of any given coin.
BEARWHALE- a trader with a large quantity of crypto who believes prices will fall — if they sell off, the market can be temporarily flattened.
BAG HOLDER- Someone who is holding onto a currency that drops in price to the point of being worthless.
REKT- A phrase from the gaming world, when crypto plummets in value and wipes out investors.
FUD- An acronym for fear, uncertainty, and doubt, which is very common in the media world.
TO THE MOON- the rallying cry of Bitcoin investors and common way to celebrate when a coin is on the up and up.
VAPORWARE- a virtual asset that has been built up on hype, but has nothing to back it up.
SHILL- an individual promoting altcoins for their own benefit
