HODL = "Hold on for dear life"? No, the origin of this term is even more absolute.

In 2013, a guy named Gamekyuby, while drinking, typed “I AM HODLING” on BitcoinTalk at the moment when Bitcoin experienced a big dump of 39%—he even misspelled HOLD. He intended to correct it but never did. This typo unexpectedly became the most classic investment philosophy in the encryption circle.

The core is just one sentence

Don't sell in a panic. No matter how bad the market is, just hold on tight and wait for the storm to pass. This is not some profound theory, it's just a mindset game.

The history of Bitcoin is the best proof: it surged to 20,000 in 2017, then collapsed to over 3,000 in 2018, and each time someone shouted “it's over, it's over,” but those who didn't panic sell are now laughing. This is called long-termism.

Two Types of People

Some call them Diamond Hands – able to remain unmoved in the face of a blood-red chart; while others are Paper Hands – who sell at the first sign of a fall. There are often jokes in the community about Paper Hands buying at the halfway point.

Frankly speaking

HODL is not a magic potion for making money; the premise is that you really believe in the future of this thing. Otherwise, don't play, as the bigger the fall, the more your mentality breaks.

Now institutions and governments are also starting to engage with encryption assets, Bitcoin ETFs are already available, and long-term HODLers are indeed feeling much more confident. But the risks are still there, and they are shouldering it themselves.