Crypto Slang 101: A Guide to 20 Common Slang

If you've been on crypto Twitter, Reddit, Discord, or any other social media space long enough, chances are you've come across different crypto slang.

Some are obvious to decipher, while others leave you scratching your head.

Here's a quick explanation of 20 everyday crypto slang to keep you in the loop of cryptocurrency conversations:

🔹 Bagholder – A person who holds onto a cryptocurrency even when its value falls to nearly zero and doesn’t come back up.
Example: "I told him to sell, but now he’s stuck as a bagholder with worthless tokens."

🔹 Bearish – A market or cryptocurrency is bearish when there's a downward decrease in price.
Example: "Bitcoin has been bearish all week, and traders are worried about further drops."

🔹 Bullish – A market or cryptocurrency is bullish when there's an upward increase in price.
Example: "Ethereum is looking bullish today—might be a good time to buy in."

🔹 Buy the dip (BTD) – Buying a cryptocurrency when its price has fallen, hoping it will rise again soon.
Example: "BTC just dropped 10%! Time to buy the dip before it pumps again."

🔹 Cryptosis – A constant search and hunger for cryptocurrency knowledge that typically leads to buying crypto coins and tokens and investing in crypto projects.
Example: "Ever since he discovered crypto, he’s been suffering from cryptosis—he won’t stop talking about it!"

🔹 FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) – The panic traders feel when they can’t or don’t invest in a particular crypto coin or token by buying or selling.
Example: "I wasn’t planning to buy SOL, but the price kept going up, and my FOMO got the best of me."

🔹 FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) – The spread of negative information about cryptocurrencies to achieve an aim like lowering the value of a coin.
Example: "There’s too much FUD around this token, but I believe in its long-term value."

🔹 Gas – Transaction fees on the Ethereum network, often used in the context of trading NFTs.
Example: "I wanted to mint an NFT, but the gas fees were ridiculously high!"

🔹 HODL (Hold On for Dear Life) – Refusing to sell your crypto, especially during periods of high volatility, hoping the price will rise.
Example: "I don’t care if Bitcoin crashes to $20K, I’m going to HODL until it hits $100K."

🔹 ICO (Initial Coin Offering) – A crypto company fundraising project where they request investment and offer tokens or free coins as rewards.
Example: "This new project is launching an ICO next month—should we invest early?"

🔹 Lambo/When Lambo – Asking when cryptocurrency traders will become rich enough to buy a Lamborghini.
Example: "If this token hits $10, when Lambo?"

🔹 Market Cap – The total value of a particular cryptocurrency.
Example: "Ethereum’s market cap just crossed $400 billion!"

🔹 NGMI (Not Gonna Make It) – Used by traders who made a wrong trading decision or to describe a failing crypto project.
Example: "He sold all his ETH at $1,500 right before the pump—NGMI."

🔹 NFT (Non-Fungible Token) – Unique digital assets (like artwork) that can be traded like any other marketplace item.
Example: "I just bought a rare NFT from the latest collection—hoping it skyrockets in value!"

🔹 Pump and Dump – When certain groups manipulate the price of a cryptocurrency to cash out before leaving it to crash.
Example: "That coin was clearly a pump and dump—glad I didn’t buy in!"

🔹 Rekt – Selling your crypto too early or too late, resulting in a big loss.
Example: "I sold my tokens at the bottom, and now they’re up 300%—I got rekt."

🔹 Shill – Promoting a cryptocurrency or NFT for personal benefit.
Example: "I can’t trust his advice; he’s just shilling his own bags."

🔹 To the Moon – When a cryptocurrency increases significantly in price.
Example: "If BTC breaks $50K, it’s going straight to the moon!"

🔹 Vaporware – A cryptocurrency project that never gets completed despite the marketing and hype.
Example: "That coin had so much hype last year, but it turned out to be pure vaporware."

🔹 WAGMI (We Are Gonna Make It) – Used to encourage people in the cryptocurrency community to keep trading and investing.
Example: "The market is rough right now, but stay strong—WAGMI!"

🔹 Whale – A person or entity that owns a significant amount of cryptocurrency and can affect the market with a single trade.
Example: "A whale just bought $50M worth of Bitcoin—expect some volatility!"

Cryptocurrency slang may seem confusing initially, but it’s like slang in any other industry, just a bit cooler.

So, the next time you find yourself in the middle of an offline or online conversation on crypto, use this article as a reminder and refresher on crypto jargon 101.

Disclaimer: This article was written to provide guidance and understanding. It is not an exhaustive article and should not be taken as financial advice. Obiex will not be held liable for your investment decisions.