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I want to share some understanding of what holding is, because this is a very important concept in the crypto market that many people still misunderstand.
Simply put, what is holding is the act of buying a coin and deciding to hold it for the long term, regardless of whether the price goes up or down. It’s not about buying and selling immediately to make quick profits like trading, but a long-term investment strategy. This term originated from a humorous misspelling in 2013 when a member on Bitcointalk with the nickname GameKyuubi posted a message titled "I AM HODLING," and since then, this phrase has become famous in the crypto community.
So what is holding in the context of the real market? It’s a decision based on trust. You choose a coin, believe that it will grow strongly in the future, and hold it for 1-2 years or even longer until reaching your target price. During that time, no matter how much the price crashes, you do not sell. People who do this are called Holders.
I see that whether holding is effective or not depends heavily on the timing of your market entry. If you participated in early 2017, almost every coin you chose experienced tremendous growth, with some coins increasing 30 to 3,000 times in less than a year. But luck isn’t always on your side. The best time to hold is when the market starts to heat up, transitioning from a bear market to a bull market.
There is a clear difference between holding coins and trading. What is holding compared to trading? If trading involves continuous buying and selling, even within minutes to make short-term profits, then holding is a completely different approach. To become a successful trader, you need to deeply understand technical analysis, master indicators like MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands, constantly monitor market news, and have strong mental resilience to withstand pressure. On the other hand, if you are a holder, you don’t need to know as much—just basic knowledge about how to buy and sell coins, how to store them in wallets, and how to create accounts.
I recommend combining both methods. Allocate some capital to hold major coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and another part for trading. This helps reduce risk and avoid the situation of choosing the wrong coin to hold. The biggest secret is not to put all your eggs in one basket, and most importantly, to preserve your capital.
When Bitcoin’s price drops, there will be many negative news: hacks, public figures criticizing, governments tightening controls, even large companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter restricting crypto advertising. At this point, if you have already decided to hold, stay firm in that decision.
Conversely, when the market is lively and Bitcoin’s price rises, you will see positive signs: more proactive regulators, development of Bitcoin ETFs, expansion of the Lightning Network. These indicate a brighter future for Bitcoin. If you believe in blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency market, these signs will help you avoid doubts and stay committed to your hold decision.
In summary, what is holding is just an investment method based on trust and patience. It’s not an easy choice, but if you pick the right coin and the right timing, the results can be very rewarding.