Most Popular Crypto Slang Terms You Should Know
Crypto slang is like its own language for talking about digital money and transactions. If you’re new to crypto, you’ll hear a lot of acronyms and catchphrases. This article explains some of the most common ones in simple terms. Think of it as crypto terms for beginners, words you should know so you don’t feel lost. For example, many beginners ask things like “FOMO meaning in crypto?” or “LFG full form” when they see these terms related to blockchain networks on Twitter or forums. We’ll break down each term clearly and show real definitions from trusted sources.
Key Takeways
Learn the most commonly used terms in the crypto world, including key terms like FOMO, HODL, and WAGMI. This beginner-friendly glossary explains each slang term used in the Ethereum ecosystem and across popular crypto coins. Whether you’re exploring a new crypto project or just wondering what it means to “bag” in the crypto world, this guide breaks it all down with real examples and simple definitions.
FOMO
FOMO stands for “Fear Of Missing Out”. In crypto, it describes the panic feeling you get when prices start rising fast and you worry you’ll miss a big opportunity. It makes people buy impulsively as the market goes up. If you see a coin “going to the moon” and you buy just so you’re not left out, that’s FOMO related to the hype around certain cryptocurrencies. This word is used so much that people often search “fomo meaning crypto” online and the answer is always Fear Of Missing Out. In practice, FOMO can cause big price swings because everyone jumps in at once.
DYOR
DYOR means “Do Your Own Research”. It’s a reminder to check things yourself before investing in a cryptocurrency exchange. In crypto slang, when someone says DYOR, they’re telling you not to trust hype alone. They want you to look into the project or coin yourself. In everyday terms, DYOR is just good advice. It means “don’t just follow the crowd; read up and understand what you’re buying.” For example, before trusting a new token, people might say, “Seriously, DYOR read the whitepaper and check the team,” instead of jumping in blind.
SAFU
SAFU stands for “Secure Asset Fund for Users”. It started as a term used by Binance, a big crypto exchange, to reassure users after a hack. “SAFU” basically means your funds are (supposedly) safe. Crypto traders joke, “funds are safu” when they want to feel secure about their cryptocurrency wallet. So when someone says something is “SAFU,” they mean there’s an emergency fund or insurance in place to protect users. In slang, you might see people say “everything’s SAFU” after a scare, meaning don’t worry. It’s not magic, just a meme from an old Binance Tweet, but it’s common slang now.
OG
OG is short for “Original Gangster.” In crypto and NFT terms, it refers to early adopters or original versions of something. Think of it as “old school” in a positive way, especially when referring to traditional cryptocurrencies. For example, if someone says “OG Bitcoin holder,” they mean a person who bought Bitcoin in the early days. Or “OG NFT” might mean one of the first NFTs in a collection. It’s slang to give respect: OG = someone who’s been there since the beginning.
WAGMI / NGMI
These are opposites. WAGMI stands for “We’re All Gonna Make It,” and NGMI stands for “Not Gonna Make It.” These came from crypto meme culture. WAGMI is used when people feel confident and supportive, like “yes, we’ll all profit together.” NGMI is used sarcastically for someone who made a bad move or gave up, it means “you won’t succeed.” For example, if someone sells a coin too early, others might say “NGMI” on Twitter. If the community is feeling hopeful, they shout “WAGMI!” to cheer everyone on. These are just short ways to talk about optimism or doubt in investments.
BTD
BTD stands for “Buy The Dip.” It’s a phrase encouraging investors to buy more when prices fall. In other words, when the market goes down, BTD means “this is a chance to buy crypto at a discount.” For example, if Bitcoin price drops suddenly, people might tweet “BTD!” meaning “buy now while it’s cheap.” The idea is the price will bounce back later. So BTD is slang for seizing a buying opportunity when others are panicking.
GM
GM is a simple one: it means “Good Morning.” Crypto Twitter loves to greet each other this way, especially when discussing new transactions. When traders log in early, it’s common to just say “GM” in a chat or tweet. It’s a friendly habit that helps build community. You’ll often see people reply with “GM” to each other as the first thing in the day. It’s just a crypto way of saying good morning to everyone around the world.
10X or 100X
When crypto fans say a coin went “10X,” they mean it went up ten times in value. For example, if you buy a token at $1 and later it’s worth $10, that’s 10X. The term “100X” just means one hundred times. These phrases are shorthand for really big gains. People might say “This is a 100X project!” meaning they think its price could multiply by 100. It’s catchy slang but not guaranteed. The key idea is: “X” stands for times. So 10X means 10× your money. (Note: [45] specifically defines “10x’d” as up ten times.)
PVP vs PPP
PVP means “Player Vs Player,” and PPP means “Player Pump Player.” These terms describe different crypto community mindsets. In a PVP scenario, the game is a zero-sum one person’s gain is another’s loss. The first person to exit wins, and the last person in takes the losses. It’s called “Player Vs Player” because you’re basically competing. In contrast, a PPP community tries to make a rising tide that lifts all boats. Think of PVP as a fast-food joint (quick results, someone gets hurt) vs. PPP as a slow-cooked gourmet meal (everyone is satisfied in the end). PPP means the community tries to pump the token so all players profit together. Kyle Chasse’s article on this says PPP “aim[s] to ensure that every participant benefits” rather than having “the last person in become the exit liquidity”.
CT
CT stands for “Crypto Twitter.” This isn’t the official brand name (Twitter is now called X), but crypto people use CT to mean “the crypto community on Twitter.” It’s the crowds on Twitter (X) who tweet about crypto. If someone says “I saw that on CT,” they mean they saw it on Crypto Twitter. It’s a shorthand way to refer to all those crypto influencers and enthusiasts tweeting together.
LFG
LFG is short for “Let’s F—ing Go!” (yes, f—ing). It’s basically “Let’s go!” with extra excitement. Traders and meme-coin fans use LFG to cheer themselves on. For example, if a price is pumping, someone might shout “LFG!” as if pumping a fist. The full form (uncensored) is literally “Let’s fucking go.” It’s just hype and energy a rallying cry when you feel good about your crypto or you’re pumped for a launch.
FUD
FUD stands for “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.” It means people are spreading negative rumors or scary news about a coin to make others panic. In crypto slang, calling something FUD means “Don’t trust this scary story, it’s probably exaggerated.” If a tweet is labeled “FUD,” it’s usually negative hype meant to drive prices down. For example, false news about an exchange hack can create FUD, causing investors to worry. It’s essentially the opposite of FOMO. When markets are shaky, FUD can spread easily, shaking people’s confidence.
REKT
Rekt (sometimes spelled “rekt”) means wrecked. It’s used when someone takes a really bad loss. If a trade goes horribly wrong and your investment tanks, you got rekt. In crypto chats you might see “I got rekt on that trade.” It’s just slang for “I lost a lot of money on this.” The word comes from “wrecked.” If you hear “don’t get rekt,” it means don’t lose too much.
PA
PA can mean a couple of things in the context of cryptocurrencies. One is per annum (interest rates), but more often you’ll see PA meaning “price action.” As one source notes, “PA can also stand for price action, a popular term used on Crypto Twitter. In that sense, PA is just how the price moves over time. For example, traders might say “good PA” to mean the price action looks good. It’s not a magical term it’s just shorthand for “watching the price chart.”
PnD
PnD stands for “Pump and Dump.” This is a type of scam. In a pump-and-dump scheme, a group of insiders will hype a coin (the “pump”), sending its price up. Then they all sell at the top (“dump”), crashing the price and leaving others with losses. In slang, “PnD” can be used generally to warn about any suspicious, rapid rise and fall. For example: “Watch out, this looks like a PnD” meaning “be careful, it might be a pump-and-dump.”
WL
WL means “whitelist.” In crypto projects or NFT drops, a whitelist is a list of approved participants. If you are on the WL, you get early access to buy or mint before the public. The term became popular in NFT communities, particularly in discussions about smart contracts. For example, “I got WL for the new mint” means “I’m on the whitelist and can mint early.” It’s just crypto jargon for “pre-approved list.”
DEGEN
“Degen” comes from “degenerate.” It’s slang for a gambler-like trader who chases high-risk, high-reward deals. Degens are the folks diving into new meme coins or risky tokens with little research, hoping to hit it big. The Webopedia crypto dictionary says degens buy on impulse, ignoring cautious analysis. It’s not always an insult, some wear it as a badge of honor. It just means you’re part of the wild, high-risk side of crypto culture.
HODL
HODL stands for “Hold On for Dear Life.” It started from a 2013 forum typo, but now it means “don’t sell your crypto in a panic”. In practice, it’s advice to keep holding a coin through ups and downs. If you bought Bitcoin or any altcoin, and the price crashes, a hodler will say “HODL” instead of selling. It’s a rallying cry: have faith in the long-term value. The original meaning was a misspelling of “hold,” but now it’s fully slang. People also call themselves “hodlers,” meaning long-term holders of a coin.
IYKYK
IYKYK stands for “If You Know, You Know.” It’s used for inside jokes or information only insiders get. In crypto, someone might post “X happened last night… IYKYK,” implying only those in the know about the latest transactions will understand. It builds a sense of community: if you understand, you’re part of the club. The phrase surged on crypto Twitter and NFT circles. It means “this will make sense only to people who were paying attention.”
Trenches
“Trenches” is slang for the very early, risky stages of crypto projects and transactions involving new smart contracts. It’s where degens dwell, taking on high risk for potential big rewards. For example, meme-coin Telegram groups are often called “the trenches”. The swapped.com crypto slang guide explains trenches as the place “where degens gather, share alpha, and discuss the next high-conviction play”. In short, if you’re “in the trenches,” you’re deep in risky early-stage crypto work, hunting for big gains.
Jeet
Jeet is short for “Just Exit Early Trader”. It’s a slightly derogatory term for someone who panic-sells too soon. If a token pumps 5× and someone sells at 2× profit, others might call them a “jeet.” The idea is that they exited early and missed the rest of the move. According to MoonTober Dev, jeets sell impulsively even on small gains because they fear missing out on a particular cryptocurrency or just want quick profit. In forums, if you sell fast on a new coin, chat might spam “jeet” to tease you. It’s like calling someone a quitter for not holding on a bit longer.
DeFi
Decentralized finance (DeFi) Is generally known as a sector in the crypto industry that champions self-custody of assets and collective governance instead of giving full authority to a single individual or entity
For some in the industry, DeFi is the solution to insecurities as individuals have full custody over their crypto and can access their asset anytime as long as they have a good internet connection; Ethereum is sometimes referred to father of DeFi as it houses most of the DApps in the industry today.
JOMO
Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO) is another cryptocurrency slang term commonly used in the industry; it refers to a reverse condition of FOMO, where an individual is glad to miss out on a project that likely collapsed or failed to meet the expectation of its investors.
Many times individuals who are not interested in cryptocurrency or are pessimistic about a particular crypto asset feel JOMO when prices of cryptocurrencies fall due to a prolonged bear market or when an ICO scam occurs. Also, individuals who hold on to a crypto asset during turbulent times, up until it experiences a massive price increase, feel a sense of JOMO.
A good example is when Bitcoin crashed in 2018, dropping from $20,000 to $3,000; investors who held on to BTC from 2018 likely felt a degree of JOMO when prices surged in 2020.
Airdrop
Airdrop is a crypto slang term used when developers of a new coin decide to give members of the crypto community part of the new token to drive broader adoption and create awareness. Also, it can be used when an established crypto platform decides to reward their users, likely long-term users, for sticking with them.
Airdrops also take the form of learn & earn or AMA’s, where an individual will have to do something before receiving the free tokens; in the case of Learn & earn, the individual answers a few questions about the platform, and receives the airdropped tokens if they pass all the questions.
An example is when Uniswap, one of the largest DEX in the industry, airdropped its native token to long-term users in 2020, those eligible must have performed at least one transaction before September 1, and qualified users received 400 units.
Bear Market
This refers to a condition when the market develops a negative sentiment and crypto prices fall spontaneously; sometimes, weak assets are consumed by the bear, losing value so much that it becomes useless. Other assets experience terrible losses, with some even touching their all-time low. When a bear market extends beyond its expected date, it becomes a prolonged bear market, which often proves disastrous to cryptocurrencies.
In May 2022, the crypto market experienced a severe bearish plumb that drove prices down; Bitcoin dropped from its close to $70,000 price to trading below $16,000 and is still currently within that range.
BAGHolder
This cryptocurrency slang refers to a trader who fails to sell a token when it was still priced at a high value, likely due to Holding On For Dear Life, and is now left with crypto assets with little or no value.
Most times, Bagholders are investors who bought a large quantity of specific crypto assets when it was at its peak; the sentiments that it will rise beyond its current price always drive them to hold on and wait, eventually the token drops in value resulting in a massive loss on their part.
Altcoin
This is a crypto slang term used to describe all cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency created in 2008 by the anonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
The first altcoin was created in 2011, and for the next few years that followed that we’re only a handful of altcoins. But currently, there are thousands of them in the industry, and many more are still created regularly.
Ethereum is currently the largest altcoin in the industry, worth $1,172.26, having a market cap of over $147 billion, and ranking number 2 in the crypto market. It was co-founded by Vitalik Buterin, its current CEO, in 2013, just 5 years after Bitcoin, and was officially launched in 2015.
Bull Market
This crypto slang term describes a period in the crypto industry when the market condition is favorable to assets and, most times, is accompanied by price pumps and dramatic increases in all cryptocurrencies in the market.
The crypto market experienced a bull run in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic when crypto assets gained more traction worldwide due to strained economies and the lockdown which prohibited people from going to work.
The need for a source of income without mobility was highly needed, and cryptocurrency came to the rescue; due to an influx of buyers and investors. Bitcoin touched an all-time high of $68,000, and Ethereum hit a peak of close $5000 in 2021.
DEX
Decentralized exchange (DEX) is a term used to describe all cryptocurrency exchanges that facilitate peer-to-peer transactions without needing a third party but instead use Smart Contracts to execute transactions.
The largest DEX in the industry by market volume, Uniswap was built on the Ethereum network in 2018 by Hayden Adams; before Uniswap, he worked as an engineer in a Siemens company.
Other exchanges include Balancer, Curve, and pancake swap.
Bear
A crypto trader who is highly pessimistic about price actions in the market and believes the crypto market will soon experience a downtrend in prices. Sometimes the sentiment of a bear may turn out right. However, other times, it proves to be the opposite.
Bears who predicted that there would be a downturn in prices, especially after the massive uptrend of 2021, proved to be right as the market experienced an unexpected bearish plumb that created a massive downtrend and crippled the prices in the market, forcing some assets to their all-time low.
Double Spend
This crypto slang term is used when an individual tries to send a crypto asset to two different crypto addresses. However, mining and decentralized consensus prevent such kind of activity. Without the prohibition of those features, hackers or users with programming knowledge can easily modify transaction information on a blockchain when some conditions are met and thus recover and spend a token that has already been consumed.
Exit Scam
This is a term used to describe a situation whereby the owners of a crypto project decide to abandon it and run away with investors’ funds. Many times this kind of event is linked to ICOs, DeFi projects that sell their new tokens as a bid to market them, when investors flock to the platform and buy the tokens with the false hope that it has the potential to provide high-end yield, the project owners will cart away all the liquidity meant to run the platform, which is also essentially users funds.
Sometimes why this kind of scam is hard to recognize because they seem genuine and run operations like well-meaning platforms. However, the sinister agenda is to gather as many funds as possible. Therefore during the increase, many users may make a profit, but they are suddenly left with valueless tokens.
Fiat
This is a term used for all currencies that are not cryptocurrencies; some examples are the US dollar, European EURO, and Chinese Yen.
Lambo
A slang term often used by investors to ask when the price of a token will be enough to buy a Lamborghini, which is currently worth $200,000-$331,000 at the lowest price in the market. Therefore when an investor asks a fellow trader when Lambo is, they are referring to when the token will surpass at least $200,000, and currently, no crypto asset in the market has achieved such price action. However, some predict that during the next bullish run, Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, will overtake it to an all-time high of over $68,000, rising to over $100,000 in price value.
Moon
This slang is somehow similar to Lambo. However, it refers to when crypto will experience a spike in price; when crypto is experiencing a spontaneous increase, it is said to be mooning, and sometimes crypto enthusiasts make a statement to the moon, this means they are confident that the token will experience a massive surge in price.
Proof Of Stake (POS)
This consensus protocol utilizes staking instead of mining to secure a blockchain and mint new tokens and blocks and is regarded as one of the significant alternatives to proof of work. Those who stake their tokens on a proof of stake blockchain are eligible to become validators, charged with verifying transactions and minting new blocks; they receive new tokens as block rewards for their hard work. Some platforms require an individual to stake a minimum amount of tokens to become a validator.
Ethereum, for example, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, requires an individual minimum of 32 ETH, currently equivalent to $38,966.08, which is entirely on the high side for most traders, who only own between 1-5 ETH.
Whale
This stands for an individual who holds many cryptocurrencies; most times, their decision could either weaken the market or strengthen it.
BTD (Buy The Dip)
This term encourages traders and investors to buy a cryptocurrency that has lost value due to market decline or bear market. The reason is that they believe the cryptocurrency will increase in price, bringing massive yields to those who decided to buy when it was at its lowest. Many skilled traders use this strategy when buying crypto assets for investment purposes.
DYOR (Do Your Research)
Do your research is a crypto slang term used to encourage potential investors not to buy a cryptocurrency without due diligence on its potential for growth. Many times when dealing with price predictions, writers include this slang term in their writeup to tell readers that buying based on only the information they read is a bad idea, as it is essential to carry out research before investing.
It is also instrumental when trying not to portray a post or token as an advertisement or promotional material.
ICO (initial coin offering)
This slang is used when new projects market their token for the first time to drive adoption and attract the attention of long-term investors. Also, they use this avenue to raise funds for their projects through the sale of their token; sometimes, these projects have a specific sum to reach, while others are not.
A good example is 1inch, a DEX aggregator built on Ethereum Virtual Machine and launched in May 2019. Their token, which functions like a standard ERC-20 token, was sold at an ICO held 7 months after its launch in December 2019 to raise Ether.
ATH (All-Time High)
It refers to the highest value a crypto token has ever reached since its launch. Bitcoin, the king of cryptocurrencies, reached an all-time high of $68,000 in November 2021 and has since remained at that ATH. However, some experts expect the coin to surpass that price and reach $100,000 when the market sentiments become favorable.
If that happens, then Bitcoin will have crossed a new threshold and an all-time high. Ethereum, the second largest crypto, also achieved its all-time high in November 2021, reaching $4,891.70. Analysts are also optimistic that it will surpass that price too when the market sets on a bullish course.
Weak Hands
This slang term is used to describe individuals, who resort to panic selling when the market sentiments turn negative, es start a steady decline, or a massive dump occurs. They are the opposite of Hodlers, who stay committed to crypto assets regardless of market conditions. Weak hands are often revealed and washed off the crypto market during a bearish plumb, leaving the whales and the Hodlers.
The current bearish plumb that affected the crypto market in May 2022 saw a lot of panic selling, likely from weak hands, driving prices down, however with weak hands washed off, the market started to experience some increase in later months, even though the momentum it was not enough to bring about a bull run. However, prices steeped recently due to some developments in the crypto industry.
FUD ( Fear Uncertainty, Doubts)
Fud is a cryptocurrency slang term used to describe a situation whereby an individual or organization spreads false information to mislead the general public and change their perception of a particular cryptocurrency or the crypto market, in general, to cause a price drop. They can purchase it at a lower price.
However, the Fuder can also work, with the same momentum, to drive up the prices of the same assets so that they can make profits. The term was first used in 1970 as a platform marketing technique to sabotage a competitor’s products by spreading false rumors to discourage people from buying.
An example in the crypto industry is Bitcoin antagonists, individuals who, for some reason known to them, only believe Bitcoin will crash. This moves them to say nasty untrue things about the token, most times on their social media pages.
Wallet
A wallet is a crypto slang term used to denote a computer interface or physical device used to store cryptocurrency assets. However, while some believe the token is stashed in a crypto wallet, the asset is on the blockchain. Still, the wallet controls access to the funds by facilitating private keys or seed phrases unique to each individual.
These keys are generally 12-24 characters long. In addition, crypto wallets are now used to store cryptocurrencies and send, receive, and even perform DeFi functions like staking and Yield farming.
Smart Contract
This is a set of programmable computer instructions that executes a transaction on the blockchain without authorization from a third party or centralized body as long as the set requirements are met.
Blockchain platforms like Ethereum leverage Smart contract functionalities to run their operations in a fast, scalable and secure manner.
Flippening
Flippening is a slang term used when talking about the glorious future moment when ETH will surpass Bitcoin, according to SoFi. This cryptocurrency platform offers borrowing and lending services in the industry. While such predictions are not inevitable, the chances of that happening is very slim because Bitcoin is Currently trading at around $16,483.14. In comparison, Ethereum trades at $1,217.69, with a difference of about $15,265.24.
For ETH to overtake Bitcoin, currently, it will have to multiply by 15. In addition, Bitcoin is expected to experience a massive increase that will surge its prices. Nevertheless, cryptocurrencies are highly volatile. Therefore, nothing is impossible about cryptocurrency prices.
FAQ
What is a jeet in crypto?
A jeet (“Just Exit Early Trader”) is someone who sells their crypto too soon, often on a small profit. The term is used to tease traders who “cash out” early instead of holding for bigger gains.
What is the full form of LFG in crypto?
LFG stands for “Let’s F—ing Go!”. It’s just an excited cheer, meaning “let’s go!” with enthusiasm. Traders shout LFG to hype themselves or the community when something good happens.
What’s the term commonly used in cryptocurrency?
The general word for digital money is “cryptocurrency,” often shortened to “crypto.” There isn’t one single “term” beyond that. Different contexts use different words (e.g. Bitcoin, blockchain), but “crypto” is the universal shorthand. (No specific source for this answer.)
What are the best keywords for crypto?
The sources don’t list SEO keywords, but common terms include “crypto,” “blockchain,” “bitcoin,” etc. In the context of slang, important keywords are covered above (like FOMO, HODL, etc.). There wasn’t a direct answer in the sources for this
What is crypto slang?
Crypto slang is the set of informal terms and acronyms people use in the crypto world. It includes things like HODL, FOMO, and many others mentioned above. It’s basically a special crypto vocabulary that investors and enthusiasts use to talk quickly about concepts.
What does trenches mean in crypto?
In crypto slang, “trenches” refers to the earliest, riskiest stages of a project. It’s where high-risk traders (degens) hang out and discuss brand-new coins. If someone says they’re “in the trenches,” they mean they’re deeply involved in a risky, early-phase investment.
