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  • SPEDN encourages people to use cryptocurrencies in the real world to buy goods and services, or simply to pay their bills with crypto.
  • Since the original HODL forum was posted in December 2013, Bitcoin prices are up about 2,500%.
  • While big-league investors have the knowledge and resources to capitalize on small price changes and volatility, amateurs are unlikely to predict trends and act on them in time to profit (or minimize losses).
  • HODL culture has been a major help to long-term investors in Bitcoin and other top cryptocurrencies.

It’s important to state that debating whether or not a HODL strategy is worth it when investing in cryptocurrency is entirely different from the question of whether to invest in cryptocurrency at all. Cryptocurrency is still relatively new and isn’t subject to the same regulation as traditional investing. As with any investment, you should make sure you understand cryptocurrency before you begin investing. Buy-and-hold investing occurs when individuals purchase an asset—often stock—and hold it for a period of many years. Rather than trying to time the market, this strategy simply operates under the assumption that the asset’s price will increase over time.

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While there is incredible volatility in crypto, investors have earned the best returns of any asset class in the world simply by hodling their coins, as you can see in these bitcoin success stories. Since the original HODL forum was posted in December 2013, Bitcoin prices are up about 2,500%. Even investors who bought on the first day of 2018 and employed a HODL strategy are still up more than 17% on their investment. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are still relatively untested, and they may not pan out as the revolutionary innovation their supporters envision. There are also times when it may be prudent to sell, such as cashing out some gains when you’ve met your goals.

  • It’s an approach that prioritizes long-term gains over short-term trades.
  • HODLing means buying cryptocurrency and holding on to it long-term.
  • It takes the guesswork out of timing the crypto markets—so while HODLers may not buy at the absolute “best prices” for their coins, they have the advantage of a long-term time horizon.
  • Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only.
  • The price of Bitcoin began another surge in mid-2017 and reached a historic high of $19,167 at year-end.
  • Under the post-COVID low-interest context with inflation expectation, investors also hold cryptocurrencies for value reserve.

It is important to know when the right time is because this metric varies from one individual to another. The right time to sell will largely depend on the goals of investing. If these goals are achieved, the coin holder can sell at any price in the market; otherwise, they continue to HODL. HODLing campaigns are also witnessed whenever the price of an asset starts falling. In such a situation, any more selling could lead to further price correction and the best action for the long-term investors is to discourage weak hands from letting go and thereby mitigating further losses.

Pros and cons of the HODL strategy

News & World Report, Seeking Alpha, InvestorPlace.com and The Motley Fool. Mr. Duggan is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and resides in Biloxi, Mississippi. The investor sentiment cycle is a visual representation of the emotions a typical investor experiences based on the performance of the investor’s portfolio over time. Several altcoins that soared during the 2021 crypto boom, such as Dogecoin (DOGE), Avalanche (AVAX) and XRP (XRP), are down more than 88% from their all-time highs. Bitcoin’s extreme volatility has produced a handful of horrendous annual returns throughout the years. For example, Bitcoin shed 50% of its value in less than 48 hours of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced sell-off in March 2020.

  • The new definition helped illustrate the gist of HODLing to the masses.
  • It may strike you as a misspelling, and you will be right, but within the blockchain space, that spelling is correct.
  • This means that you buy a set amount every day, week, or month, which allows you to buy in at the average price throughout your investment period.
  • We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team.
  • Yes, there is a cryptocurrency called HODL (Hodl Hodl) with an eponymous ticker (HODL).
  • If someone on Wall Street told a client to HODL, they might get looked at weirdly, for example.

Depending on your investment strategy and risk profile, HODLing can be a good approach. However, crypto markets are highly unstable and there is no guarantee that HODLing will be successful. Even if HODLing doesn’t seem right to you, there’s still lessons to be learned from this approach. HODLers are a social bunch—their strategy relies on support from other investors, who urge them along and convince them not to sell if they are feeling unsure.

The history of HODL

In crypto, the term is used to refer to individuals or institutions with an outsized investment in a particular asset. Mooning is a related term to ‘When Lambo’ that also refers to stratospheric price rallies. If the price of an asset rises very fast, the community equates that rise to a ride on a rocket to the moon which gave rise to the phrase going to the moon or ‘mooning,’ for short. Trying to beat the market by timing reversals is an expert’s game, and most newcomers to crypto are not experienced at doing that. HODLing thus becomes a safe play for such individuals and institutions looking for long-term gains rather than gaming the system. In the case of Bitcoin, if you’d purchased and HODLed your coins from the start, your profits would be unprecedented.

  • All in all, the shared struggles and triumphs of HODLing create a sense of camaraderie among crypto traders.
  • It doesn’t matter which cryptocurrency is in your portfolio, as long as you hold it for a few years (or more) before selling.
  • However, as a HODLer, all you need to do is hold on and ignore all market fluctuations.
  • Mooning is a related term to ‘When Lambo’ that also refers to stratospheric price rallies.

For cryptocurrency maximalists, HODL represents more than a strategy for reigning in FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt), and other profit-eroding emotions. Long-term crypto HODLers stay invested because they believe that cryptocurrencies will eventually replace government-issued fiat currencies as the basis of all economic structures. Should that occur, then the exchange rates between cryptocurrencies and fiat money would become irrelevant to crypto holders. FUD is another acronym that stands for ‘Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.’ Part of the reason why cryptocurrency markets are so volatile is that they are vulnerable to public perceptions. Whenever there is negative press coverage, the value of the entire market will fall and the reverse is true.

HODL Culture

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  • Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3.
  • Decentralization is the major feature and advantage of cryptocurrency, as it is not issued by a central authority such as a country’s central bank.
  • Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions.
  • Some investors choose to HODL after buying during price drops, while others continuously invest over time, a strategy known as dollar-cost averaging.

It’s also commonly come to stand for “hold on for dear life” among crypto investors. In early bitcoin forums, someone posted a message that spelled the word “hold” wrong, and readers interpreted it as an acronym “hold on for dear life,” Saddington explains. “Now, it’s become a meme of sorts, so that when the prices are highly volatile, bitcoin buyers say ‘HODL!'” Saddington describes himself as “a long-term HODLER.” In that case, investors buy when prices are low, hold an asset while the value increases, then try to sell it before the price dips.

What Is The Best Coin To HODL?

However, the difference between long-term value investing and long-term HODLing is the difficulty in accurately valuing cryptocurrencies. Ben Gagnon, chief mining officer for Bitfarms (BITF), says HODL is more of a mentality than an investing strategy. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research.

Where did the term “HODL” come from?

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An affiliate of Public may be “testing the waters” and considering making an offering of securities under Tier 2 of Regulation A. No money or other consideration is being solicited and, if sent in response, will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received, until an offering statement filed with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. An indication of interest to purchase securities involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. Although the term “HODL” originated in the crypto community, stock market investors have been HODLing for a long time. You can HODL any stock you own, but it’s usually best to avoid HODLing risky stocks. There are a host of stock market myths out there and just like any other investment including crypto, the stock market also goes through bull and bear periods.

What Does It Mean to HODL?

That means that you’re missing an opportunity for potential gains in those markets. Jason Porter, senior investment manager at Scottish Heritage SG, says the HODL strategy can be particularly useful for crypto investors during market weakness, such as 2022’s crypto winter. NerdWallet, Inc. is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor.

What is ‘HODL’? 10 Crypto Slang Terms Explained

Because HODLing requires a long-term commitment, many investors use cold storage devices, such as hardware wallets, for security. Cold wallets keep a user’s private keys offline so their assets are not easily hacked or stolen. Even high-quality hot wallets are generally more vulnerable to hacks than cold wallets.

What Is the Difference Between HODL and a Buy-and-Hold Strategy?

There’s little sense in earning a 10% annual percentage yield if a coin’s price plummets by 25%. Dozens of high-profile blockchains now use a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to validate transactions. On these chains, anyone can lock (“stake”) their coins to earn a percentage-rate reward over time for their help securing the network. Staking on blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, or Polygon earns passive income with minimal effort. What started as a typo in an online forum has developed a real meaning of its own.

As with many other popular memes, the origin of HODL can reportedly be traced back to a typo. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page.

It’s been an interesting journey, one that’s taught me a lot about the value of patience in investing. As a firm believer in the HODL strategy, I apply it to my own investments. Because it’s a relatively new and rapidly growing market, prices are constantly shifting. To protect your investments, it’s essential to know the ins and outs of your strategy of choice before making a purchase. Overall, HODL best suits investors with a multi-year vision for their preferred crypto projects.

HODL: The Cryptocurrency Strategy of “Hold on for Dear Life” Explained

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