HODL is the acronym for Holding On to Dear Life. It signifies a long-term commitment to crypto investments, whereby one holds it like their dear life and does not sell it, whatever happens.
The term represents the true philosophy of long-term investment benefits.
Table of Contents
Origin and Usage
It was coined somewhere in the 2017 bull run and was popularized in late 2020 and 2021 when the crypto market saw a very high rate of growth. In the crypto winter of 2022, HODL saw a real test of patience when a majority of Bitcoiners did not sell their holdings despite a 75% drawdown. A similar test of patience was also seen in the 2025 US Liquidity Crisis.
Below is the usage of the term in online media in the last two decades.
HODL is a globally popular concept and has been searched widely in multiple countries including China where crypto has been banned since 2017.
