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What does HODL mean?
HODL is crypto slang for holding an asset for a long time instead of selling or spending it. The IMF describes it as a buy-and-hold strategy.
What it means for you
HODL is a slogan, not information about a coin. Holding for years only works if you can still reach the coins: that means keeping the seed phrase and knowing whether a company or you holds the keys. Keep the purchase records too, since the cost basis is needed when you eventually sell.
How it works
The IMF defines HODL as a buy-and-hold strategy in crypto, and notes the economic tension behind it. Holders encourage each other to keep coins rather than spend them, which supports a coin's use as a speculative asset, while spending is what would make it useful for payments. The IMF also notes that many unbacked crypto assets have high price volatility, which makes them a poor store of value. Holding for years is therefore a bet that the price recovers through every swing, plus a practical commitment to keep access to the coins the whole time.
Source: IMF: Regulating the Crypto Ecosystem · checked 4 October 2026
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Educational content, not financial advice. Written by hand and checked against the source named above. Something wrong? Tell us and we reply within two business days.