Hey you!
This is “that’s what she said”, the newsletter that usually sticks to the plan, but not today. Before we dive into the deep end of web3 next week, I’ve got a little something to get you warmed up. Here’s a quick cheat sheet of the slickest web3 slang to get you in the mood. Let’s get you talking like a local (before the real talk kicks in).
Web3 Slang Cheat Sheet
- Addy. Short for address. It refers to the crypto wallet address, a long string of letters and numbers that is used to send or receive crypto.
- Alpha. Inside info. It could be a hot tip, early intel on a new token, or whispers about a project before it hits the spotlight. If you’ve got alpha, you’ve got an edge.
- Ape in/out. To jump into (or out of) an investment fast, usually out of hype or FOMO, with little to no research.
- ATH. All-Time High. When a coin or token hits its highest price ever. According to my Gen Z colleague, he’s also hit ATH, but in his case, it stands for All-Time Handsome (humble as ever, obviously).
- Bear market. When prices are down and the vibe is gloomy.
- BTD. Buy The Dip. Buying an asset after the price drops, hoping it’ll bounce back.
- BUIDL. A play on build. It means contributing to the ecosystem instead of just speculating. Coined in crypto culture to encourage long-term thinking.
- Bull market. When prices are rising and everyone’s vibing.
- Degen. Short for degenerate. A proud (and slightly unhinged) risk-taker in crypto. Degens often YOLO into coins without research and sometimes win big or get rekt. Degen can also indicate a person who is very knowledgeable in web3.
- Diamond hands. Holding onto an asset no matter what, even when prices tank.
- DYOR. Do Your Own Research. Don’t just blindly follow hype or influencers. Know what you’re buying into.
- Flip. Buy low, sell high, fast. Usually done for short-term profit.
- FUD. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Negative noise or manipulation, used to scare investors and bring prices down.
- GM. Good Morning. The default web3 greeting. Doesn’t matter what time it is, it’s always GM somewhere.
- GOAT. Greatest Of All Time. Used to hype legends, projects, or people who’ve made major moves in the space. It’s one of the highest compliments in the space.
- HFSP. Have Fun Staying Poor. Sarcastic jab at non-believers who missed the boat (or so you think).
- HODL. Originally a typo for hold. Now, a battle cry for keeping your coins no matter what. AKA Hold On for Dear Life.
- IYKYK. If You Know, You Know. Used when referencing something only insiders or OGs will get.
- LFG. Let’s F**king Go. Hype. Excitement. Unity. The web3 equivalent of a battle cry.
- Maxi. Short for maximalist. Someone who believes in only one coin (usually Bitcoin) and thinks everything else is trash.
- Moon (n/v). When a token’s price skyrockets. If it’s climbing fast, it’s mooning. If it’s hit a major high, it mooned.
- NFA. Not Financial Advice. A reminder that whatever someone says about a token or project shouldn’t be taken as investment advice. Always DYOR.
- NGMI. Not Gonna Make It. Usually thrown at people who panic sell, ignore alpha, or just don’t get it.
- No coiner. Someone who doesn’t own any crypto. Often sceptical.
- Normie. A person outside of the crypto bubble. New to web3 or just hasn’t caught the bug (yet).
- OG. Short for Original Gangster. It’s used to describe people who got into crypto early and helped shape the space before it went mainstream. Basically, they’ve been around since the beginning and know their stuff.
- Paper hands. Someone who sells too early when the market dips. The opposite of diamond hands.
- Pump and dump. A scam where a group hypes up a coin to raise its price, then sells all at once, crashing the market and leaving others stuck.
- Rekt. Wrecked. Used when someone loses big, whether by bad luck, bad trades, or bad timing.
- Rug pull. A project that disappears with your money. Founders pull the rug, leaving investors with worthless tokens.
- Shill (n/v). To promote a coin/token/project, usually loudly and with personal interest. Sometimes genuine, sometimes sneaky. Always worth a DYOR.
- Sh*tcoin. A coin with little or no real value. For Bitcoin maxis, that’s everything else.
- WAGMI. We’re All Gonna Make It. A feel-good phrase. Used when spirits are high and the bags are packed.
- Whale. Someone who holds a lot of crypto, enough to move the market with a single trade.
- YOLO. You Only Live Once. Said before making a risky bet or investing way too much into one coin.
Feeling a bit more fluent already? That’s the idea. Web3 can feel like chaos at first, but don’t worry. You’ve got this newsletter to guide you.
And hey, the best way to lock something in is to share it. So if you picked up a new term or two, pass it on to your friends, your loved ones, your granny... just for the love of God, don’t text your ex (they don't deserve the alpha).
That’s a wrap, normies. Time to start your degen era 🌙