Crypto slang: what HODL, FUD, DYOR and NGMI mean
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By Locke
Updated Oct 14, 2026 · 4 min read
11 sources checkedRead our editorial policy
Key takeaways
- HODL means you keep a coin instead of selling it. It began as a typo in a Bitcointalk post titled “I AM HODLING” on 18 December 2013.
- FUD means fear, uncertainty and doubt. DYOR means do your own research, NFA means not financial advice, and NGMI means “not gonna make it.”
- Diamond hands hold through big drops, paper hands sell at the first drop, and a bag holder keeps a coin long after its price falls.
On this page
In crypto slang, HODL means hold, FUD means fear, uncertainty and doubt, DYOR means do your own research, and NGMI means “not gonna make it.” Traders use these short codes in chats and on X. The table explains 28 terms, and our memecoin glossary covers the longer ones.
Crypto slang dictionary
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| HODL | Keep a coin instead of selling it | “Red chart? I HODL.” |
| FUD | Fear, uncertainty and doubt: bad news that makes people sell | “That story is FUD.” |
| DYOR | Do your own research | “Looks strong, but DYOR.” |
| NFA | Not financial advice | “I bought more. NFA.” |
| NGMI | “Not gonna make it”: will fail | “Sold the bottom again? NGMI.” |
| GMI | “Gonna make it”: the opposite of NGMI | “Took profit early. GMI.” |
| WAGMI | “We’re all gonna make it” | “Rough week, but WAGMI.” |
| GM | “Good morning”: a friendly hello in crypto chats | “GM, traders.” |
| LFG | “Let’s f***ing go”: a cry of hype or praise | “New ATH. LFG!” |
| Diamond hands | Holding through big price drops | “Held through the crash. Diamond hands.” |
| Paper hands | Selling at the first drop, often in a panic | “Sold the first dip? Paper hands.” |
| Bag holder | Someone who keeps a coin after a big fall | “Still holding my bag from the top.” |
| ATH | All-time high: a coin’s highest price ever | “It just broke its ATH.” |
| Rekt | “Wrecked”: a bad loss on a trade | “Bought the top. Rekt.” |
| Mooning | A fast, large price rise | “This coin is mooning.” |
| Shill | To promote a coin with hype | “He shills every coin he holds.” |
| Ape | To buy fast, with little research | “I aped in.” |
| Degen | A trader who takes very high-risk bets | “Full degen on new launches.” |
| Trenches | Trading brand-new, high-risk memecoins in their first hours | “Ten hours in the trenches today.” |
| PVP | “Player versus player”: one trader’s profit is another trader’s loss | “Fresh launches are pure PVP.” |
| Whale | A wallet big enough to move the price | “A whale just sold.” |
| Rug pull | The team takes buyers’ money and leaves | “The dev pulled the liquidity.” |
| Sniping | Buying right after launch, usually with a bot | “Bots sniped the launch.” |
| Bundling | The creator buys from many wallets at launch | “The chart looks bundled.” |
| Market cap (MC) | Price times circulating supply | “What’s the MC now?” |
| KOL (key opinion leader) | An influencer who promotes coins | “A KOL posted it.” |
| CTO (community takeover) | Holders take over after the creator leaves | “The dev left, so it’s a CTO.” |
| Exit liquidity | Late buyers whose money lets early holders sell | “Don’t be their exit liquidity.” |
Sources: Decrypt slang guide (opens in a new tab), CoinMarketCap on ATH (opens in a new tab), rekt (opens in a new tab) and shilling (opens in a new tab), and crypto.news on the trenches and PVP (opens in a new tab).
How the main crypto terms work
HODL
HODL started as a typo. On 18 December 2013, the user GameKyuubi titled a Bitcointalk post (opens in a new tab) “I AM HODLING.” The word is not an acronym for “hold on for dear life,” per Decrypt’s slang guide (opens in a new tab).
FUD
Some holders call every warning FUD, even a true one. Check the facts before you ignore it.
DYOR and NFA
Posters add DYOR and NFA after a coin tip, so the risk stays with you. For a memecoin, check the contract, the top holders and the liquidity.
NGMI, GMI and WAGMI
NGMI is for a trader or project that people expect to fail (CoinMarketCap NGMI entry (opens in a new tab)). GMI is the hopeful opposite for one trader (Metaschool NGMI entry (opens in a new tab)), and WAGMI is the hopeful form for a whole group (CoinMarketCap WAGMI entry (opens in a new tab)). They show a mood, not a fact about a coin.
Paper hands vs diamond hands
Both are labels, not plans. Set your sell targets before you buy, so a label does not decide for you.
Bag holder
A bag is your position in one coin. A bag holder keeps it whatever the price does (CoinMarketCap bagholder entry (opens in a new tab)). On memecoins, they often bought the top from early holders.
What to do next
- You saw “DYOR” under a coin tip: run the checks in how to spot a rug pull before you buy.
- You want your first memecoin: follow how to buy meme coins and how pump.fun works.
- You want to follow whales and KOLs: our GMGN review covers its wallet and X tracking.
- You want the simplest start on your phone: Fomo is a mobile app that you fund with Apple Pay, a debit card or crypto (Fomo’s buying guide (opens in a new tab)). Read our Fomo app review.
Bottom line
Crypto slang is a short code for holding, selling, hype and fear. Learn the words to read the chats, but never buy a coin because of a slogan. For longer terms, see our memecoin glossary or compare memecoin trading platforms when you are ready to trade.
Sources
- Bitcointalk: I AM HODLING (original thread) (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Decrypt: GM, WAGMI, GN: guide to Bitcoin and NFT slang (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: NGMI definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: WAGMI definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: Bagholder definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: All-time high (ATH) definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: REKT definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- CoinMarketCap Academy: Shilling definition (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Metaschool: NGMI meaning (GMI as the opposite) (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- crypto.news: What are the trenches in Solana memecoin culture? (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
- Fomo: How to buy meme coin (opens in a new tab) · checked Oct 14, 2026
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