The crypto community is a vibrant, quite active thing. Over the years, it has created its own internal memes, references, and crypto slang terms that every crypto user ends up learning mostly by experience, but also with the help of some guides —if you just arrived at the cryptoverse. There are many, many terms and acronyms by now, so a list to understand what experienced users are talking about may come in handy.
Of course, these terms aren’t exactly official, and the concepts behind them don’t allude to something, let’s say, concrete. Terms and acronyms like DEX (Decentralized Exchange), P2P (Peer-to-peer), staking, altcoins, or metaverses aren’t slang, but actual platforms, systems, or digital objects related to the cryptocurrency world. Slang, on the other hand, refers to informal language made up of playful, casual words or expressions used in everyday conversation.
It’s the native language of the crypto community, basically. Let’s learn some fun terms!
About Crypto People
Bag Holder
Someone who keeps a cryptocurrency after its price crashes, hoping it will recover. They’re often stuck with a “bag” of nearly worthless coins. There’s a cover song about it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BqplqzuO6U&embedable=true
Bulls and Bears
Bulls believe prices will go up, while bears expect them to fall. These two groups create the push and pull of every crypto market —which can also be “bullish” (increasing prices) or “bearish” (decreasing prices).
Degen
Short for “degenerate,” a degen takes wild risks on crypto projects without much research, hoping for huge rewards — or huge losses.
Early Bird
An early bird is someone who jumps into a new crypto project early, aiming to get the biggest rewards before it becomes popular. The term also refers to the first-ever Bitcoin users.
Maximalist / Maxi
A maximalist believes one cryptocurrency — usually Bitcoin — is the best and sees little or no value in others.
Moonboy
A moonboy is overly optimistic, always shouting that a coin will “go to the moon!” — even if there’s no real reason.
No coiners
No coiners are people who don’t own any cryptocurrency and often criticize it or think it’s just a passing trend.
Normies / Noobs
Normies are regular folks not deeply into crypto, but they may be interested in it. Then, they can become noobs: complete beginners who are just starting to buy and learn.
Strong/Diamond vs. Weak/Paper Hands
Diamond hands hold their coins through thick and thin; no matter wild price swings. Paper hands sell quickly when prices drop, often missing out on rebounds.
Whales, dolphins, fishes, and minnows
These ocean terms describe crypto wallet sizes: whales hold huge amounts, dolphins and fishes hold medium amounts, and minnows have just a little.\
Crypto Slang Acronyms
Some of these acronyms are known outside crypto too.
BTFD
Short for "Buy The (Fucking) Dip," it’s an advice shouted when prices fall. It encourages people to grab cheap crypto before it bounces back up.
CT
Crypto Twitter (X) — the online world where crypto fans, traders, and developers hang out, share news, memes, and market updates faster than anywhere else. The latest news is often shared on X's official accounts first.
DYOR
"Do Your Own Research" reminds you not to blindly trust advice. Before investing, investigate projects yourself to make smarter decisions.
ELI5
"Explain Like I’m 5" means breaking down a complicated idea in super simple words, just like you would to a five-year-old.
FOLE
"Fear of Losing Everything" kicks in when prices crash. People panic and sell fast, afraid their crypto might drop to zero.
FOMO
"Fear of Missing Out" happens when you rush into buying crypto because you’re scared of missing big profits others seem to be getting. Not the wisest move without DYOR.
FUD
"Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt" is when negative rumors spread fear about a project or the whole market, often causing prices to fall. Again, not the wisest move to panic-sell your coins without DYOR.
GM
"Good Morning" is a cheerful greeting in the crypto world, spreading positive vibes and encouraging community spirit, especially on Crypto Twitter.
GMI / NGMI / WAGMI
GMI means "Gonna Make It," full of confidence. NGMI, "Not Gonna Make It," signals poor choices. WAGMI, "We’re All Gonna Make It," spreads hope.
HODL
Originally a typo for "hold," now it means clinging to your crypto through ups and downs, believing it’ll pay off later. Hold On for Dear Life!
JOMO
"Joy of Missing Out" is when you're happy you stayed out of risky trades and avoided market crashes others suffered from.
LFG
"Let’s Freaking Go!" (or a stronger version) is a battle cry for excitement when people believe a project or coin will soar.
OCD
"Obsessive Cryptocurrency Disorder" jokes about checking prices nonstop, feeling anxious over every little market move, and being glued to crypto apps.
ROMO
"Regret of Missing Out" hits when you didn’t buy a coin that later skyrocketed, making you wish you’d taken the chance.
Other Crypto Terms
Addy
Short for "address," it’s your crypto wallet’s long, messy-looking ID where people send or receive coins, like your personal mailbox on the ledger. You can replace it in Obyte for easier
Ape(ing)
Jumping fast into buying a coin or Non-Fungible Token (NFT) without much thought or research, often driven by hype and excitement rather than careful planning. It can also mean buying a significant amount of any cryptocurrency.
Bloodbath
A brutal market crash where prices drop sharply across many coins, leaving portfolios deep in red (red often represents price decreases) and causing widespread panic among investors.
Cryptosis
An unstoppable urge to learn everything about cryptocurrencies, often leading to endless research, late-night reading, and talking about crypto nonstop.
Longs and Shorts
A "long" position bets a coin’s price will rise; a "short" one bets it will fall. Both can use borrowed funds to magnify gains—or losses. It refers to the time an investor will keep their coins before selling: long-term or short-term.
Moon / Mooning
When a coin’s price rockets up so high and so fast that people joke it’s heading straight to the moon. You may also say “When Moon” to wonder when this happy increase will happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wBg1lBKtyg&embedable=true
Red or Green Dildo
A colorful, cheeky way to describe huge vertical price moves on charts — red for a price plunge, green for a massive price jump.
Rekt
Slang for “wrecked.” It means losing a lot of money quickly, often from bad trades, hacks, scams, or sudden market drops.
The Flippening
A future event (still hypothetical) when another cryptocurrency, often Ethereum, overtakes Bitcoin in market value and becomes the top crypto.
This is gentlemen
A playful twist on "This is it, gentlemen," used to mark a major moment (often ironically) like a massive price move or shocking news.
Vaporware
Crypto projects that are all talk but no product. They stay in promotion mode for ages and sometimes never even launch.
When Lambo
A tongue-in-cheek way to ask, "When will I get rich enough from cryptos
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