HODL
A long-term strategy of keeping coins through crashes and rallies instead of trying to time the market.
The word began as a typo. In December 2013, a user posted "I AM HODLING" on the BitcoinTalk forum — drunk, by his own account, as bitcoin sold off hard. The misspelling stuck.
Now HODL means holding through the noise instead of trading every swing. People often backfill it as "Hold On for Dear Life." The logic is plain: most traders lose money timing tops and bottoms, so buy and sit.
Related terms
Slang for holding a position through heavy volatility and steep drawdowns without selling.
Paper HandsA dismissive term for selling too early, dumping a position at the first sign of trouble.
Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA)Investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule, regardless of price, to smooth out volatile entries over time.
Bag HolderAn investor stuck holding a token that has collapsed in value, with little hope of recovery.