HODL

HODL is crypto slang for holding an asset for the long term instead of trading it, especially through price crashes. It started as a typo in a December 2013 post on the Bitcointalk forum titled "I AM HODLING", written by a user explaining that he was a bad trader and would simply keep his bitcoin. The misspelling became a meme and was later backronymed as "hold on for dear life".

As a strategy, HODLing means accepting volatility and avoiding the costs and emotional mistakes of frequent trading. It has worked well for bitcoin holders over long periods so far. It has not worked for holders of the many coins that never recovered from a crash.

HODLing is not the same as ignoring risk. Holding long term still requires secure storage, position sizing you can live with, and periodic review of your investment case.