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

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.

• 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 he’s suggesting is, that unless you’re a great trader, the HODL investment strategy can be a good option in crypto.
• If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin on the day of the original HODL post, it would be worth much more today.
• In December 2017, the price of Bitcoin reached $19,700, but by November 2018 Bitcoin fell to a low of $5,500.

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.

Alternatives to HODLing

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 is a term derived from a misspelling of “hold,” in the context of buying and holding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
• Neo from The Matrix asks Morpheus, “What are you trying to tell me, that I can trade my Bitcoin for millions someday?” Morpheus responds, “No Neo, I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready … you won’t have to.”
• The term ‘HODL’ originated from a post in a Bitcoin forum, where the user accidentally typed ‘hodl’ instead of ‘hold’ during a discussion about trading strategies.
• Much like the term itself, HODL encourages users to hold onto their tokens for rewards in the Binance coin (BNB) that are distributed every three days.
• We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers.

HODLing is often seen as a simple and effective strategy, especially for those who prefer to avoid the stress of daily trading. It’s based on the belief that over time, the value of cryptocurrencies will increase despite short-term price swings, a view held by many crypto traders. The term HODL was born from a post titled ‘I AM HODLING,’ made by a member named GameKyuubi, on the famous Bitcoin forum Bitcointalk in December 2013.

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However, while “HODLing” might be a good strategy, it doesn’t tell you what to own. Buying and holding a poor investment can lead to years of bad returns, if not a total loss on the investment. The term almost immediately became a meme via social media, and the misspelling continues to live on in internet message forums such as the infamous Wall Street Bets board on Reddit. Here’s the origin of HODL and why it can be a valuable investing strategy. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service.

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.

The Development of Crypto Regulation: Brief Introduction

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• Whenever there is negative press coverage, the value of the entire market will fall and the reverse is true.
• It takes a lot of emotional strength not to sell a plummeting asset, hoping that it will revert to greater heights.
• Traders who use the SPEDN strategy believe in spending cryptocurrency in order to encourage real-world adoption.
• Any estimates based on past performance do not a guarantee future performance, and prior to making any investment you should discuss your specific investment needs or seek advice from a qualified professional.
• Even Bitcoin, now a relatively stable cryptocurrency, still registers 10-20% moves in some days.
• It is a misspelling of “hold,” with an interesting story behind it.

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HODL or Day Trade

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.

• Alternative Assets purchased on the Public platform are not held in an Open to the Public Investing brokerage account and are self-custodied by the purchaser.
• “Pump and dumpers are people who often say, ‘Hey, let’s all of us together pump this coin,’ which means buy the coin, create the demand in the market, the coin will go up in value,” Saddington says.
• And, everyone from Warren Buffett to athletes and celebrities have weighed in on the future of cryptocurrencies.
• Others have argued that the stubbornness and close-mindedness of HODL culture is “cult-like,” blinding the community to any legitimate criticisms of Bitcoin as an investment or a currency.
• Trading digital currency is risky and the price canfluctuate significantly.

Under the post-COVID low-interest context with inflation expectation, investors also hold cryptocurrencies for value reserve. The term ‘HODL’ originated from a post in a Bitcoin forum, where the user accidentally typed ‘hodl’ instead of ‘hold’ during a discussion about trading strategies. The user referred to themselves as an ‘illusioned noob’ who was poor at trading, thus choosing to ‘hodl’ during a period of high price volatility. Yes, the principle of HODLing can also be applied to the stock market. It’s similar to the buy-and-hold strategies used by many stock market investors. The idea is to purchase stocks and hold onto them for a long period, regardless of market fluctuations.

HODL

The HODL approach has been rewarding for long-term investors in Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH) and other leading cryptocurrencies, as it’s helped them navigate extreme fluctuations in the crypto market. In no time, the term HODL spread like wildfire throughout the crypto world. Today, it refers to investors who refuse to sell their crypto regardless of how high or low prices trade. If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin on the day of the original HODL post, it would be worth much more today. But there are countless people who have lost money trading Bitcoin in the meantime, buying it when it was high and bailing out after a disappointing fall.

HODL vs. Buy-and-Hold Investing

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 HODLING?

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.

Origin of HODL:

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.

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FAQs about the HODL strategy

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.

Understanding the HODL Strategy

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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.

When a stock or crypto’s price is at its lowest point, investors typically experience fear, anger and panic that can lead them to sell at the worst possible time. Likewise, when a stock or crypto price is at its highest, investors often feel excited and overconfident, prompting them to buy at the worst possible time. GameKyuubi explained in the post that he planned to “hold” his Bitcoin (BTC) investments because he knew he was a bad trader. You don’t have to be a cryptocurrency disciple to learn something from the HODLers. If you believe in the value of your investments, you might be less likely to panic in the face of market turmoil. HODL may also refer to a DeFI token on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC).