Crypto Glossary
Essential cryptocurrency and meme coin terminology explained in plain English
A
Airdrop
Free distribution of tokens to wallet addresses, often used to promote new projects or reward loyal community members.
Alpha
Insider information or early knowledge about a project that could lead to profitable trades. "I got some alpha on this new launch."
Ape / Aping In
Buying into a token quickly without doing much research, often driven by FOMO or hype. "I'm aping into this new meme coin."
ATH (All-Time High)
The highest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached. Often used to measure performance and set price targets.
ATL (All-Time Low)
The lowest price a cryptocurrency has ever reached. Sometimes seen as a buying opportunity.
B
Bag / Bagholder
Your holdings of a particular token. A "bagholder" is someone stuck holding a token that has dropped significantly in value.
Blockchain
A decentralized digital ledger that records all transactions across a network of computers. The foundation of all cryptocurrencies.
Bridge
A protocol that allows you to transfer tokens between different blockchains, like moving assets from Ethereum to Solana.
Bull / Bullish
Optimistic about price going up. A "bull market" is when prices are generally rising.
Bear / Bearish
Pessimistic about price, expecting it to go down. A "bear market" is when prices are generally falling.
Burn
Permanently removing tokens from circulation by sending them to an inaccessible wallet address, reducing supply.
C
CEX (Centralized Exchange)
A cryptocurrency exchange operated by a company that holds your funds. Examples include Coinbase and Binance.
Cold Wallet
A cryptocurrency wallet that is not connected to the internet, providing maximum security for long-term storage.
D
Degen
Short for "degenerate gambler." Someone who takes high-risk trades on meme coins, often proudly. "Full degen mode activated."
DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
A peer-to-peer exchange that operates without a central authority, allowing direct trades from your wallet. Examples include Uniswap and Jupiter.
Diamond Hands
Slang for investors who hold their position despite significant price drops or volatility, refusing to sell.
Dip
A temporary price drop. "Buy the dip" means purchasing when prices fall, expecting them to recover.
Dump
Selling a large amount of tokens quickly, often causing the price to drop significantly.
DYOR (Do Your Own Research)
A reminder to investigate projects thoroughly before investing. Never rely solely on others' opinions or hype.
F
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
The anxiety of missing a profitable opportunity, often leading to impulsive buying decisions at poor entry points.
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)
Negative information or rumors spread to drive down prices, whether legitimate concerns or deliberate manipulation.
G
Gas Fees
Transaction costs paid to process trades on a blockchain. Fees vary by network congestion and blockchain used.
GM / GN
"Good Morning" and "Good Night" - common crypto community greetings on social media.
H
HODL
Originally a typo for "hold," now means holding cryptocurrency long-term regardless of price fluctuations.
Honeypot
A scam token designed so you can buy but cannot sell. The contract blocks sell transactions, trapping your funds.
Hot Wallet
A cryptocurrency wallet connected to the internet, convenient for trading but more vulnerable to hacks than cold storage.
L
LFG
"Let's F***ing Go!" - An expression of excitement and bullish sentiment in the crypto community.
Liquidity
How easily a token can be bought or sold without significantly affecting its price. Higher liquidity means smoother trades.
Liquidity Pool
A collection of funds locked in a smart contract that enables trading on DEXs. Providers earn fees from trades.
M
Market Cap
Total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated by multiplying the current price by total circulating supply.
Meme Coin
A cryptocurrency inspired by internet memes or jokes, often community-driven with value based on social sentiment rather than utility.
Moon / Mooning
When a token's price skyrockets dramatically. "This coin is going to the moon!" means expecting huge gains.
MPC (Multi-Party Computation)
A cryptographic method where private keys are split across multiple parties, so no single party has full access. Used by Dynamic.xyz for wallet security.
N
NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
A unique digital asset on a blockchain representing ownership of art, collectibles, or other items.
NFA (Not Financial Advice)
A disclaimer used when sharing opinions about trades. Protects the speaker from liability for investment decisions.
NGMI
"Not Gonna Make It" - Used to describe someone making poor decisions or a bad trade. Opposite of WAGMI.
Non-Custodial
A wallet where you control your own private keys. No third party can access or freeze your funds.
P
Paper Hands
Slang for investors who sell at the first sign of trouble or small profits, opposite of diamond hands.
Private Key
A secret code that gives you access to your cryptocurrency. Never share it - whoever has it controls your funds.
Pump
A rapid price increase, often driven by hype or coordinated buying.
Pump and Dump
A manipulation scheme where a group artificially inflates a token's price then sells, leaving other investors with losses.
R
Rekt
Slang for "wrecked" - having lost a significant amount of money on a trade. "I got rekt on that rug pull."
Rug Pull
A scam where developers abandon a project and run away with investor funds, often by draining liquidity pools.
S
Seed Phrase
A 12-24 word recovery phrase that can restore your wallet. Store it securely offline - it's your backup to all your funds.
Shill
Aggressively promoting a token, often for personal gain. Can be genuine enthusiasm or paid promotion.
Slippage
The difference between expected and actual trade price, usually due to low liquidity or fast price movements.
Smart Contract
Self-executing code on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreements when conditions are met.
Stablecoin
A cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset like USD. Examples include USDC and USDT, used to avoid volatility.
T
Token
A cryptocurrency built on an existing blockchain (like ERC-20 on Ethereum) rather than having its own network.
V
Volume
The total amount of a cryptocurrency traded in a given period, indicating market activity and interest.
W
WAGMI
"We're All Gonna Make It" - An optimistic phrase expressing belief that everyone in the community will profit.
Wallet
Software or hardware that stores your cryptocurrency private keys and allows you to send and receive tokens.
Whale
An individual or entity holding a large amount of cryptocurrency, capable of significantly influencing prices with their trades.
Wen
Intentional misspelling of "when." Commonly used in questions like "Wen moon?" (When will the price go up?)
Ready to start trading?
Now that you know the lingo, explore the top meme coins.
View Top Meme Coins