Do you know the true meaning of HODL? This article will provide you with all the information you need on the definition of HODL and more!
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Kevin
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March 4, 2022
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Common Questions
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From ROFL to LOL to IDKMYBFFJILL, attempting to understand internet jargon or slang can be a bit jarring. And to add to the confusion, there is a bit more to this coin: Bitcoin slang. Read on to learn the definition of HODL and many other Bitcoin slang terms.
What Does HODL Mean?
Now you may have heard your peers use the acronym HODL in reference to “Hold on for Dear Life.” By most standards today, this is the definition, but this wasn’t always the case. Funnily enough, HODL was originally a misspelling of the word holding.
The History Behind the Acronym HODL
In December of 2013, Bitcoin trader GameKyuubi went off on an intangible tirade to communicate his stance during a volatile price rally. He wrote “I AM HODLING” in the post. In the blink of an eye, the typo found its way onto every corner of the Bitcoin community in the form of GIFs and internet memes.
Through the quick use of social media sites like Reddit and Twitter, the internet was able to take one typo made by a self-proclaimed “bad trader” and turn it into a myriad of internet memes overnight. Those memes evolved into one of the top Bitcoin forum slang terms used today, HODL.
Long-term supporters of Bitcoin still use the term. Now, it is a sort of rallying cry, even in the most volatile of price movements. Gamekyuubi did write in his post the only way for a trader to make money is to sell when they are playing in a zero-sum game.
Other Crypto and Internet Slang Terms to Add to Your Internet Vocabulary
Now HODL or HODLing may be one of the most historic and well-known crypto-slang terms; it is only the mere tip of the iceberg when it comes to internet and crypto jargon. Below we have included a list of a few of the top crypto slang terms to help you obtain a better hold on all things crypto jargon:
- FUD: Fear of holding out or having fear, uncertainty, or doubt. This describes the emotions an investor may feel during a more volatile market movement.
- To the Moon: This describes the upward trend that bitcoin may steadily have over a short term.
- Sats: Sats is a short you will see around bitcoin chat rooms about “satoshis,” a term taken from the first name of Satoshi Nakamoto. A sat or sats refers to the absolute smallest fraction of a bitcoin that you can send. Some even say that real traders look at sats, not the dollar value of bitcoin.
- Rekt: Derived from “wrecked,” this refers to an investor that made bad trades or lost all of their coins in an extremely dumb manner.
- Whale: When someone starts HODLing or investing and obtains a large sum of coins or tokens, they are called a whale by many hodlers. These “whales” typically hold a rather vast amount of bitcoin. When a whale sells or buys crypto assets, they have a large enough influence to impact the flow of the market.
Internet-Specific Acronyms
While most of these terms below are not technically acronyms, they are all referred to as acronyms in internet slang. Below we have included a list of a few of the top internet slang “acronyms” to help you obtain a better hold on all things internet shorthand:
- OMG: A very popular and well-known expression used to convey the emotions of shock, excitement, or surprise, which stands for “Oh my God!”
- ROFL: When things become too mainstream, many things adapt; the same goes for internet slang; when LOL became too mainstream, ROFL came to fruition. ROFL stands for “Rolling on the Floor with Laughter.”
- FTW: This one has a history long before internet memes, as it originated from Hollywood Squares; it is most commonly used to create a sense of optimism in the most challenging situations. FTW means “for the win.”
- B/C: This is a common internet abbreviation for because.
- YOLO: This internet slang gained popularity around 2012; in essence, it is the modern-day equivalent of “carpe diem” or “seize the day.” The acronym YOLO means “you only live once.”
- LOL: Arguably the most well-known and perhaps the most overused internet term LOL stands for laugh out loud.
Recap
Whether you’re holding on for dear life due to the general volatility of the price of bitcoin, preparing an investment strategy for when Bitcoin heads to the moon, or just getting started on your journey in cryptocurrency investing, we hope this guide on HODL and all things crypto slang gives you a bit more pull during your next foray in the digital currency market.
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