Welcome to the ultimate crypto slang dictionary! Whether you’re chasing 1000x moonshots or avoiding rug pulls, this guide decodes the jargon, exposes scams, and levels up your trading game. 🚀
Crypto Lingo Guide
Basic Crypto Lingo
HODL
Meaning: Mistyped “hold,” now slang for holding assets long-term.
Example: “HODL Bitcoin through the dip—it always bounces back!”
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Meaning: Panic-buying due to hype. Often leads to buying tops.
Red Flag: FOMOing into a +300% pump usually ends in tears.
Whale
Meaning: Holder of massive crypto amounts; can manipulate markets.
Example: “Whales dumped ETH, crashing the price 20%.”
Shill
Meaning: Aggressively promoting a coin (often for personal gain).
Tip: If an influencer shills a coin with “guaranteed 100x,” DYOR.
Rekt
Meaning: Wiped out by bad trades.
Example: “Got rekt shorting Dogecoin—never bet against Elon.”
DYOR (Do Your Own Research)
Meaning: Don’t blindly trust others; verify claims yourself.
Pro Tip: DYOR includes checking contracts, dev teams, and liquidity.
NGMI (Not Gonna Make It)
Meaning: Mocking poor decisions (e.g., panic-selling).
Example: “Sold SOL at $20? NGMI, fam.”
WAGMI (We All Gonna Make It)
Meaning: Optimistic rallying cry for the crypto community.
Use Case: Posting “WAGMI” after a brutal market crash.
GM/GN (Good Morning/Good Night)
Meaning: Greetings in crypto Twitter (CT) circles.
Example: “GM degens! Ready to ape into some alts?”
ATH (All-Time High)
Meaning: Peak price of an asset.
Example: “Bitcoin hit a $73K ATH—time to take profits?”
Trading & Market Terms
Bull Market
Meaning: Rising prices, euphoric sentiment.
Strategy: “Buy dips, stack alts, and ride the bull.”
Bear Market
Meaning: Prolonged price declines.
Survival Tip: “DCA into BTC and avoid leverage in bears.”
Stop-Loss
Meaning: Automatic sell order to limit losses.
Example: “Set a 10% stop-loss to avoid getting rekt.”
Limit Order
Meaning: Buy/sell at a specific price.
Pro Tip: “Use limit orders to snipe entries during volatility.”
Slippage
Meaning: Price difference between order and execution.
Red Flag: High slippage = low liquidity (avoid!).
Arbitrage
Meaning: Profiting from price differences across exchanges.
Example: “Buy SOL on Coinbase, sell on Binance for 2% profit.”
Leverage
Meaning: Borrowed funds to amplify trades (high risk!).
Warning: “10x leverage can liquidate you in minutes.”
Shorting
Meaning: Betting on price drops.
Example: “Shorted PEPE after the influencer dump—easy 30% gain.”
Resistance/Support
Meaning: Price levels where assets struggle to rise (resistance) or fall (support).
Chart Tip: “BTC bounced off $60K support—bullish signal.”
Candlestick
Meaning: Chart showing price action (open, close, highs, lows).
Pattern: “Green candle = bullish, red candle = bearish.”
Memecoin Culture
Shitcoin
Meaning: Low-value, high-risk coin (often memecoins).
Example: “Aped $100 into a shitcoin—either 100x or $0.”
Degen (Degenerate)
Meaning: High-risk trader chasing moonshots.
Motto: “YOLO into low MC coins and pray.”
Wen Lambo?
Meaning: Joke about getting rich enough to buy a Lamborghini.
Response: “After the next bull run, WAGMI!”
To the Moon
Meaning: Rapid price surge.
Example: “DOGE to the moon! Elon tweeted again.”
Pumpamentals
Meaning: Hype-driven price pumps (no real fundamentals).
Red Flag: “This coin’s only pumpamental is a TikTok trend.”
Scams & Red Flags
Dusting Attack
Meaning: Sending tiny amounts of crypto to track wallets.
Defense: Ignore suspicious airdrops; don’t interact.
Exit Scam
Meaning: Devs abandon project and disappear with funds.
Red Flag: Anonymous team + unlocked liquidity = avoid.
Fake Volume
Meaning: Wash trading to inflate exchange volume.
Tip: Use CoinGecko’s “Trust Score” to spot fake volume.
Phishing
Meaning: Scammers impersonate telegrams to steal keys.
Defense: Watch what you click; never click pump.fun/telegram links.
SIM Swap
Meaning: Hijacking phone numbers to bypass 2FA.
Protect: Use hardware wallets and Google Authenticator.
DeFi & Blockchain Tech
Smart Contract
Meaning: Self-executing code on blockchains like Ethereum.
Example: “Uniswap uses smart contracts for decentralized trading.”
APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
Meaning: Returns from staking or liquidity pools.
Risk: High APY often = high risk (e.g., depegging).
Impermanent Loss
Meaning: Loss from providing liquidity in volatile pools.
Example: “Lost 20% on my ETH/ALT pool due to IL.”
Oracle
Meaning: Tool feeding real-world data to blockchains.
Use Case: “Chainlink oracles power DeFi price feeds.”
Layer 2
Meaning: Scaling solution built on top of a blockchain (e.g., Polygon).
Benefit: “Layer 2s like Arbitrum cut Ethereum gas fees by 90%.”
NFT Jargon
Minting
Meaning: Creating an NFT on the blockchain.
Example: “Minted a Bored Ape for 0.08 ETH—now worth 100 ETH!”
Floor Price
Meaning: Lowest price for an NFT in a collection.
Strategy: “Buy the floor, sell the hype.”
Blue Chip NFT
Meaning: High-value, established project (e.g., CryptoPunks).
Example: “Blue chips like Pudgy Penguins survive bear markets.”
Gas War
Meaning: Competing to mint NFTs during high demand.
Result: “Spent $500 in gas fees and missed the mint—NGMI.”
Royalties
Meaning: Fees paid to creators on secondary sales.
Controversy: “OpenSea slashed royalties—artists are furious.”
Social Media & Community
CT (Crypto Twitter)
Meaning: Crypto-focused community on Twitter/X.
Culture: “CT is 50% alpha, 50% memes, 100% chaos.”
Alpha
Meaning: Exclusive, profitable information.
Example: “Got alpha on a Solana stealth launch—loading up!”
Ape In
Meaning: Investing heavily without research.
Risk: “Aped into a meme coin; lost 80% in an hour.”
Normie
Meaning: Casual investor unaware of crypto culture.
Example: “Normies buying DOGE because Elon tweeted a dog pic.”
Wen Moon?
Meaning: Ironic question about when a coin will pump.
Response: “Wen devs deliver the roadmap? Then moon.”
Tools & Bots
Dexscreener
Meaning: Tool tracking decentralized exchange (DEX) activity.
Pro Tip: “Use Dexscreener to spot volume spikes early.”
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value)
Meaning: Profits bots earn by front-running trades.
Example: “MEV bots sniped my Pepe trade—cost me 5%.”
Sniffer Bot
Meaning: Bot detecting new token launches.
Use Case: “Sniffer Bot found a Solana meme coin pre-pump!”
Rug Pull Checker
Meaning: Tool scanning contracts for scam risks.
Red Flag: “Rug pull checker flagged unlocked liquidity—avoid!”
Portfolio Tracker
Meaning: App monitoring crypto holdings (e.g., PepeBoostBot).
Tip: “Track your PNL—or stay blissfully ignorant.”
Advanced Trading Strategies
Snipe
Meaning: Buying a token immediately after launch for quick gains.
Tool: “Use Pump.fun bots to snipe Solana meme coins at $0 MC.”
Front-Running
Meaning: Bots executing trades before yours to profit from price moves.
Example: “MEV bots front-ran my ETH swap—cost me 3% slippage.”
Scalping
Meaning: Making small, frequent profits from minor price swings.
Strategy: “Scalp 1-2% gains on high-volume coins like DOGE.”
Swing Trading
Meaning: Holding assets for days/weeks to capture trends.
Tip: “Swing trade Bitcoin during ETF news cycles.”
Grid Trading
Meaning: Automated buys/sells at predefined price levels.
Use Case: “Set a grid bot on stablecoins during sideways markets.”
Regulatory & Legal Terms
KYC (Know Your Customer)
Meaning: Identity verification required by exchanges.
Controversy: “Decentralized exchanges avoid KYC—privacy win!”
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Meaning: Laws preventing crypto from funding illegal activities.
Example: “Tornado Cash sanctioned for AML violations.”
FATF Travel Rule
Meaning: Exchanges must share sender/receiver data for large transfers.
Impact: “Slows transactions but reduces illicit activity.”
CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency)
Meaning: Government-issued digital currency (e.g., digital dollar).
Debate: “CBDCs vs. decentralized crypto—who controls money?”
Howey Test
Meaning: Legal criteria to determine if an asset is a security.
Example: “SEC claims most altcoins fail the Howey Test.”
Metaverse & Web3
Metaverse
Meaning: Virtual worlds where users interact via avatars (e.g., Decentraland).
Investing: “Buy virtual land early—metaverse is the next frontier.”
Play-to-Earn (P2E)
Meaning: Games rewarding players with crypto (e.g., Axie Infinity).
Risk: “P2E economies often collapse due to inflation.”
Virtual Land
Meaning: Digital real estate in metaverse platforms.
Example: “Sold Decentraland plot for 2x profit during metaverse hype.”
DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)
Meaning: Community-governed entity using blockchain voting.
Example: “ConstitutionDAO tried to buy the U.S. Constitution—failed but went viral.”
Governance Token
Meaning: Token granting voting rights in DAOs.
Power Move: “Stack UNI tokens to influence Uniswap’s future.”
Staking & Validation
Validator
Meaning: Node securing a blockchain and earning rewards.
Example: “Run a Solana validator for 6-8% APY.”
Delegator
Meaning: User who stakes tokens with a validator.
Tip: “Delegate ADA to reliable pools for passive income.”
Slashing
Meaning: Penalty for validator misconduct (e.g., downtime).
Risk: “Avoid low-reputation validators to prevent slashing.”
Cold Staking
Meaning: Staking coins while keeping them offline for security.
Example: “Cold-stake XTZ via Ledger wallet—safe and profitable.”
Rebase Token
Meaning: Token that adjusts supply daily to stabilize price (e.g., AMPL).
Warning: “Rebases can wreck your portfolio if demand drops.”
Privacy & Security
zk-SNARKs
Meaning: Privacy tech hiding transaction details (used by Zcash).
Example: “zk-SNARKs let you send ETH without revealing your wallet.”
CoinJoin
Meaning: Mixing crypto transactions to obscure trails.
Tool: “Use Wasabi Wallet for Bitcoin CoinJoins.”
Stealth Address
Meaning: One-time wallet address for private transactions.
Use Case: “Monero uses stealth addresses for untraceable payments.”
Multi-Sig (Multi-Signature)
Meaning: Wallet requiring multiple approvals for transactions.
Security: “Use 3-of-5 multi-sig for team treasuries.”
Paper Wallet
Meaning: Physical copy of crypto keys (cold storage).
Tip: “Store paper wallets in fireproof safes—no digital traces.”
Tokenomics
Token Burn
Meaning: Permanently removing tokens from circulation.
Example: “BNB burns boost prices by reducing supply.”
Vesting Schedule
Meaning: Gradual release of tokens to prevent dumps.
Red Flag: “No vesting schedule? Devs might rug pull.”
Circulating Supply
Meaning: Tokens available to the public (vs. max supply).
Key Metric: “Low circulating supply = higher volatility.”
Max Supply
Meaning: Total tokens that will ever exist.
Example: “Bitcoin’s max supply is 21 million—digital gold.”
Inflationary vs. Deflationary
Meaning: Inflationary = supply increases; deflationary = supply decreases.
Strategy: “Hodl deflationary tokens like ETH post-EIP-1559.”
Technical Analysis (TA)
Fibonacci Retracement
Meaning: TA tool predicting support/resistance levels.
Example: “BTC bounced off the 0.618 Fib level—bullish reversal!”
RSI (Relative Strength Index)
Meaning: Momentum indicator (30 = oversold, 70 = overbought).
Signal: “RSI below 30? Time to buy the dip.”
MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)
Meaning: TA tool showing trend strength and reversals.
Crossover: “MACD line above signal line = bullish trend.”
Bollinger Bands
Meaning: Volatility indicator showing price “bands.”
Squeeze: “Tight bands = incoming volatility explosion.”
Death Cross/Golden Cross
Meaning: Death Cross (50-day MA below 200-day MA = bearish).
Example: “Golden Cross in 2023 signaled Bitcoin’s bull run.”
Exchange & Market Types
CEX (Centralized Exchange)
Meaning: Platform controlled by a company (e.g., Binance).
Risk: “CEXs can freeze funds—not your keys, not your crypto!”
DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
Meaning: Non-custodial platform (e.g., Uniswap).
Freedom: “Trade anonymously on DEXs—no KYC required.”
OTC (Over-the-Counter)
Meaning: Private large-volume trades to avoid slippage.
For Whales: “OTC desks move $1M+ without moving markets.”
Perpetual Futures
Meaning: Leveraged contracts with no expiry date.
Warning: “Perps can liquidate you faster than expiry futures.”
Spot Trading
Meaning: Buying/selling crypto for immediate delivery.
Safety: “Stick to spot—avoid leverage unless you’re a pro.”
Emerging Trends
AI Tokens
Meaning: Crypto projects integrating AI (e.g., FET, AGIX).
Hype Cycle: “AI tokens pumped 300% in Q1 2023—then crashed.”
Memecoins on Base
Meaning: Ethereum L2 chain for low-fee meme coins.
Example: “Base chain’s $DEGEN did 1000x in a week.”
Layer 3
Meaning: Custom blockchains built atop Layer 2s.
Use Case: “Layer 3s optimize for gaming or enterprise apps.”
BRC-20 Tokens
Meaning: Memecoins on Bitcoin via Ordinals (e.g., $ORDI).
Controversy: “Purists hate BRC-20s—they clog the Bitcoin network.”
Restaking
Meaning: Staking the same asset across multiple protocols.
Example: “Restake ETH via EigenLayer for extra yield.”
Miscellaneous
Gas Fee
Meaning: Cost to transact on a blockchain.
Tip: “Trade SOL or BNB to avoid Ethereum’s $50 gas fees.”
FUDster
Meaning: Person spreading fear to manipulate markets.
Defense: “Block FUDsters—they’re often paid to crash prices.”
Whitepaper
Meaning: Document outlining a crypto project’s goals.
Red Flag: “No whitepaper? It’s a shitcoin.”
Airdrop
Meaning: Free tokens distributed to wallets (often for marketing).
Example: “Uniswap’s 2020 airdrop made early users $10k+.”
Mainnet
Meaning: Live blockchain network (vs. testnet).
Milestone: “Mainnet launch = project is ready for real use.”
Tools We Trust
- Cheapest Bump Bot – Boost volume
- Pepeboost Bot – Advanced sniping
- Buy Crypto (Coinbase) – $10 free BTC
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