Crypto Twitter and desk chat are thick with abbreviations. If you are new, the slang can feel like a wall. We maintain this list because we paste the same definitions into support tickets every week—and a shared vocabulary makes risk conversations clearer.
Updated: 2023-01-07
Abbreviations we see daily in cryptocurrency trading
- Altcoins: Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
- Bag holder: Someone holding a large position for a long time, often underwater.
- Bear / bearish: Expecting lower prices.
- BTFD: “Buy the dip” (NSFW full form is common on social feeds).
- Bull / bullish: Expecting higher prices.
- Dildo: Trader slang for a long green or red candle.
- Dump: Selling fast, often pressuring price.
- DYOR: Do your own research.
- FA: Fundamental analysis.
- FOMO: Fear of missing out.
- FUD: Fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
- HODL: Hold (typo turned meme); keep a position through volatility.
- Long: A bullish leveraged position.
- MCAP: Market capitalization.
- Moon: Traders joking about very large upside.
- OTC: Over-the-counter trading.
- Pump: Sharp upward price move.
- REKT: Large loss.
- Shitcoin: Derogatory term for a token the speaker thinks is worthless.
- Short: A bearish leveraged position.
- TA: Technical analysis.
- Whale: Wallet or trader large enough to move markets.
- Weak hands: Sells quickly on drawdowns.
- AMA: Ask me anything.
- ATH: All-time high.
- C2C: Crypto-to-crypto pair or trade.
- DLT: Distributed ledger technology.
- IMO: In my opinion.
- JOMO: Joy of missing out.
- Lambo: Meme about outsized gains funding luxury purchases.
- Nocoiner: Someone who owns no Bitcoin (often used dismissively).
- Noob: New participant.
- SAFU: “Secure asset fund for users” (exchange backstop meme).
- Shill: Heavily promoting a token, sometimes for self-interest.
Final takeaway
Slang is not a substitute for risk management, but you should recognize it so you are not guessing during a live trade. If an abbreviation is missing here, join our Telegram or Discord and ask—we are happy to explain it in context.
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