What does HODL mean?

Himalaya Exchange Official
Himalaya Exchange Blog
4 min readDec 28, 2022

Introduction

HODLing is regarded as one of the most secure and straightforward methods for growing your crypto. Knowledge and perseverance are all that is required.

Buying crypto is often seen as the easy part but staying invested for the long term, or HODLing it, takes true commitment. When its price swings up and down, most investors feel tempted to take profits or cut losses — only to find out that their returns could have been much greater! But you can take advantage of these opportunities now; if your goal is steady growth without active management, then HODLing may be just what you’re looking for. Let’s explore what exactly ‘HODLING’ involves and how you could use that as part of your investing approach!

What is HODLing?

HODL is a crypto slang term meaning to buy-and-hold indefinitely. It’s a funny and inspiring story about how the term HODLing was coined. As the cryptocurrency market bottomed out in 2013, Bitcoin slumped from its all-time high of $1,150 to a mere $150. Fear and uncertainty set in as investors scrambled to escape potential losses by selling their BTC holdings — yet one investor boldly stepped forward with an unexpected strategy: GameKyuubi joined forces with likeminded HODLers on Bitcointalk forum where he posted an “I AM HODLING” thread despite being drunk at a bar. He then went further than just words and provided evidence for why others should stay firm rather than panic sell.

Within a few hours of GameKyuubi’s thread becoming viral, “HODL” had cemented its legacy in the cryptocurrency world. Crypto fans enthusiastically welcomed this new term all across the world, and it has since become an essential component of their vocabulary.

HODL, as a Strategy and Guiding Philosophy, is the acronym for “hold on for dear life” and has become a mantra among crypto enthusiasts suggesting a long-term attitude to cryptocurrency investing. This method is consistent with GameKyuubi’s reasoning in the original post, which stated that rookie traders are likely to fail in their attempts to play the market and should instead simply hold their coin.

HODL is more than just a strategy to minimise FOMO (fear of missing out), FUD (fear, uncertainty, and suspicion), and other sentiments that contribute to the loss of profit for cryptocurrency maximalists. Investors who have long held the encrypted money will keep investing because they think it will eventually take the place of the government-issued legal tender as the foundation of all economic organisations. If that were to happen, crypto holders would no longer need to worry about fluctuating exchange rates between their digital assets and fiat money.

Why HODL?

The goal behind HODLing is to buy an asset and hold it for a long time without planning to sell it during price changes. The justification for this is that more people investing in assets tend to increase their value over the long term. In this way, HODLing can be your best option if you think a specific item or project has long-term potential. To gain the benefits, you must research the cryptocurrency before investing and have patience.

As mentioned above, HODLing is an excellent strategy for those who have faith in the long-term prospects of an asset. With proper research and due diligence, you can invest in assets you think will appreciate over time and then hold onto them for as long as it takes.

HODLing has many advantages over short-term trading. By taking a more conservative approach and creating ​a long-term plan, you remove yourself from the market volatility and minimise your risk of incurring losses. Furthermore, HODLing requires less effort as you do not need to constantly monitor the markets or make decisions based on short-term fluctuations.

At the same time, it’s essential to know that HODLing carries its risks. As mentioned above, investing in cryptocurrency is a highly speculative activity, so it’s important to do your research before investing and have realistic expectations regarding returns on investment. Additionally, since cryptocurrencies are highly volatile assets, there is always an element of risk associated with them, and therefore losses can still occur even when HODLing for the long term. It’s critical to be aware of these dangers and consider them while developing your investing plan.

Closing thoughts

In conclusion, HODLing is a great way to invest in cryptocurrency for those with the patience and knowledge necessary to commit to the long haul. By removing yourself from the market’s daily fluctuations, you can minimise your risk and potentially reap long-term rewards. However, it’s important to be aware of the risks associated with HODLing and factor them into your investment strategy. With appropriate research, due diligence, and realistic expectations regarding returns on investment, HODLing can be a successful strategy for investing in cryptocurrencies.

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Himalaya Exchange Official
Himalaya Exchange Blog

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