English Reference

Word

HODL

/ˈhɑdəl/

Definition

v. to hold onto a financial asset, such as cryptocurrency, even when the price drops. It comes from a misspelling of the word 'hold' and is used by people who believe the value will increase later.

v. to retain ownership of a financial asset, particularly cryptocurrency, despite market volatility. Originates from a deliberate misspelling of 'hold' and is used to signal a long-term investment strategy.

Examples

“Many investors choose to HODL their coins during a market crash.”

“Despite the sudden drop in market value, the community encouraged everyone to HODL rather than sell at a loss.”

“The ethos of the movement is to HODL through extreme fluctuations, viewing short-term price corrections as irrelevant to the asset's long-term potential.”

Examples

simple

“Many investors choose to HODL their coins during a market crash.”

contextual

“Despite the sudden drop in market value, the community encouraged everyone to HODL rather than sell at a loss.”

complex

“The ethos of the movement is to HODL through extreme fluctuations, viewing short-term price corrections as irrelevant to the asset's long-term potential.”

Etymology

From a misspelt "hold" in a 2013 Bitcoin forum post titled "I AM HODLING". The typo stuck and was later backronymed to "Hold On for Dear Life".

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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English Reference