The UAE has established itself as a major crypto hub. That means more crypto and blockchain companies are moving here, along with “crypto bros”. You know the type – aggressively promoting crypto with a focus on quick profits.
They are not shy about showing off their newfound wealth with flashy cars (normally a shiny new Lambo), gold chains, while shouting about the latest memecoin they just dumped. While not all crypto bros are like this, the lingo they use has become fairly universal. With the help of crypto exchange Binance, we talk you through the phrases and lingo you need to know.
For an outsider, crypto can seem impenetrable. Not just all the different coins, token and blockchains, but the language too. From the technical terms (layer one, off-ramp etc) to the countless abbreviations the bros use. To start with, we are happy to lend a hand with the crypto banter. More help is coming in future issues.
Language has always reflected culture, but in crypto, it seems to run deeper than that. Binance says it’s become the cement that holds the global crypto community together. What started as typos or acronyms on obscure internet forums – “HODL” for Hold On for Dear Life, “wagmi” for We Are Going to Make It – quickly became mantras that defined an entire movement.
“What is remarkable is how these words have travelled. They have crossed borders and time zones without translation, which means the same in Dubai as they do in New York,” says a Binance spokesperson. Unlike the rigid language of traditional finance, crypto’s slang is organic, playful, and human. “It makes mistakes part of the story, turns a typo into a battle cry, or a meme into a philosophy.”
More than vocabulary, this is crypto culture in motion. To say “HODL” is to convey defiance and a long-term belief in the future of crypto. To experience “cryptosis” is to embody the passion and curiosity that fuels the community.
“Crypto has always been more than markets and technology, it’s a culture shaped by shared language and shared belief,” adds Binance. “What looks like slang from the outside is, in reality, a powerful tool for building connection. Each phrase, each meme, is a sense of belonging that unites people across geographies.” Now where’s that Lambo?
