The word “HODL” is one of the first phrases new investors come across after joining the crypto community. But, what does HODL mean in crypto? HODL is an abbreviation for “hold on for dear life“, the meaning of the term HODL among cryptocurrency aficionados, signifying a long-term strategy for investing in cryptocurrencies. In other words, hodlers are investors who buy a cryptocurrency and then “HODL” or hold it, regardless of price fluctuations, in the expectation that it will increase in value over the long term.
HODL Meaning & its History: Where Did HODL Come From?
There is a very interesting story about how every cryptizen’s favorite word came into existence.
The phrase was first used in a post on a well-known Bitcoin forum called Bitcointalk. A drunk user named GameKyuubi had put up a post on the forum with several typos. He continued by saying that others were labeling him as a “bad trader” since he had not sold his Bitcoin during the price dips. It didn’t discourage him from “HODLing,” though, and despite it being a rant, the post’s main idea still holds to this day.
“I AM HODLing,” a mistake published on December 18th, 2013, has become a key phrase in the cryptocurrency market. The crypto community has since come up with several interpretations for the error, with “Hold On for Dear Life” being the most well-liked. Indeed, Quartz declared it to be an “essential slang term in Bitcoin culture” in 2017.
What is HODL mean in Cryptocurrency?
HODL means holding onto your coins rather than selling them. Due to their exceptional breakouts in 2017 and 2020, cryptocurrencies continue to attract increasing interest as a potential investment. Cryptocurrencies have space to expand due to the trends toward decentralized finance and the digitization of money. Investors also hold crypto as a value reserve in the post-COVID low-interest rate era with inflationary pressures.
The easiest way to explain what is the meaning of hodl in crypto is that it is a “Buy-and-hold” approach. Buy-and-hold investors often keep onto their investments for a long period to benefit from the asset’s long-term value growth. Contrarily, traders are much more active in their transactions and want to profit by purchasing at a discount and selling at a premium.
Due to their extreme volatility, cryptocurrencies offer excellent possibilities for traders to constantly build long and short positions. HODLing, on the other hand, can provide investors with more security since it protects them from short-term volatility and the chance of making a loss when they purchase high and sell low.
How to HODL in Crypto?
Here are some tips that can greatly enhance your hodl skills. To hold cryptocurrency may seem simple at first, but like with most things in life, it’s a little more than it looks.
1. Continue to learn
It’s important to be informed, so read as many articles, blogs, and news items as possible regarding crypto. Understanding different crypto projects increase your knowledge of crypto and help you figure out when to buy more of your favourite coin.
2. Avoid day trading
HODLing as a concept goes the opposite of day trading. In HODLing, one need not know technical analysis and just have to buy crypto, which they genuinely believe in regularly. It helps them be protected from market fluctuations.
Buying Mudrex Coin Sets is one of the best ways to HODL in crypto. Coin Sets are baskets of crypto tokens based on varying Web 3.0 themes. Invest in ideas you believe in, such as Blue Chip Crypto Coin Set, Metaverse, or DeFi Coin Set, and grow your wealth in the long run. Investing in Coin Sets helps you diversify your portfolio and mitigates the risk. Explore Coin Sets now!
3. Patience is important
Patience is essential if you want a long and prosperous time in crypto. Volatility might result in enormous short-term profits or losses; however, you’ll benefit in the long run if you adopt a low-time preference (thinking long-term).
Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) is a simple and reasonable technique to begin HODLing in crypto. It enables you to plan regular and fixed investments in cryptocurrencies which might be an easy way to reduce risk. For instance, you can decide to invest $10 a week in Mudrex’s Metaverse Coin Set and that way, you can average yourself from the highs and the dips, mitigating your risks.
What Are the Benefits of HODLing in Crypto?
1. It lets you participate in the cryptocurrency market without much effort.
By investing in cryptocurrencies over the long run, you may avoid worrying about constantly buying and selling, paying fees, and other time-consuming tasks. Investors have succeeded with this passive investing method in both the traditional and the cryptocurrency markets.
2. DCA or dollar-cost averaging
HODLing allows you to DCA, which enables users to add money to their cryptocurrency portfolio on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. You might consider your long-term approach in this way to prevent purchasing a lot of cryptocurrencies at a time when their price is high or when they might be going down. As you buy small quantities of cryptocurrency every week or month, you can apply this technique without necessarily having a lot of money.
3. Managing stress
Sticking to the holding method may lessen the stress of constantly buying and selling cryptos. Additionally, it will reduce the time you spend studying the charts. This benefit shouldn’t be neglected, even though it may seem unimportant. In fact, we may make poor choices if we are under pressure from spending a lot of time watching the charts and expecting the prices to hit a certain level. This may have a detrimental financial effect on our portfolios, which we hope to grow over time.
What Are the Drawbacks of HODLing Cryptocurrencies?
1. It might be less rewarding than regular trading.
Investors have a chance to generate greater if they engage in active trading. Rather than HODLing, individuals may get higher gains by investing in digital assets and keeping an eye on the charts daily or weekly. However, as we already mentioned, compared to a conventional holding approach, this can demand spending more time daily.
2. You might lose your money
Many investors have no idea where to store their cryptos. Some might store them in a wallet and misplace their private keys. This occurs more frequently than we realize and can crush a person’s financial life. So always keep backups of your private keys and the wallets you manage.
3. Being profitable may take a while.
Holding may be an excellent strategy for long-term investors, but it might not be the best option for traders looking to make quick money in cryptocurrency. Swing and day trading would indeed be preferred by the latter. The HODLing approach could take several years to start paying off for users. In fact, making a profit could be considerably more difficult if you didn’t average buy the majority of your cryptocurrencies.
Conclusion
HODL, or “hold on for dear life,” is an intentional misspelling of the word “hold,” which investors often use as advice. Popularise by a 2013 post in a Bitcoin Forum, the term has come to be used as a rallying cry for cryptocurrency investors who believe in the long-term prospects of digital assets.
HODLing is a form of investment in which people buy cryptocurrencies, keep them for a very long time, and benefit from their growth. Unlike a day trader, a person who uses the HODL approach won’t try to time the market or liquidate their holdings when they anticipate a decline.
HODLing and trading both have different advantages. The consensus in the community has been that HODL is the superior method for beginners of the two. That statement is logical, but the truth is that if carried out incorrectly, both of these tactics might open up inexperienced beginners to some risk.
Over the years, the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has increased and decreased exponentially. Hodlers think that despite their price decline, these cryptocurrencies will climb again, and some even think that right now would be the greatest moment to get into crypto.
FAQs
1. Why do crypto investors say HODL?
HODL or “hold on for dear life” is an intentional misspelling of the word “hold,” which is often used as advice for investors.
2. What does HODL mean in crypto?
HODL, or “hold on for dear life,” is an intentional misspelling of the word “hold,” often used as advice for investors. The term was popularized in a 2013 post on the Bitcoin Forum message board in which a drunk user was boasting about not selling his Bitcoin even after price drops and urged others to “HODL” too. The term has come to be used as a rallying cry for cryptocurrency investors who believe in the long-term prospects of digital assets.
3. What is the HODL strategy?
HODLing is a form of investment strategy in which people buy cryptocurrencies and keep them for a very long time. Unlike traders, HODLers don’t time the market or liquidate their holdings when they anticipate a decline. They benefit from the growth in an asset’s value over the long term.
4. Is HODL better than trading?
HODLing and trading both have different advantages. The consensus in the community has been that HODL is the superior method for beginners. That statement is logical, but the truth is that if carried out incorrectly, both of these tactics might pose a slight risk to inexperienced beginners.
