HODL Desktop

The Origin of HODL

How a drunken typo on December 18, 2013 became crypto's defining philosophy

What is HODL?

HODL is a misspelling of "hold" that became the most iconic word in cryptocurrency. It represents the philosophy of holding your crypto through crashes instead of panic-selling. The term was born from a single legendary post on BitcoinTalk by a user named GameKyuubi and has since been adopted by hundreds of millions of crypto holders worldwide.

While some claim HODL stands for "Hold On for Dear Life," this is actually a backronym created after the fact. The original word is simply a drunken typo that became immortal.

The Original "I AM HODLING" Post

On December 18, 2013, at 10:03:22 AM UTC, BitcoinTalk Senior Member GameKyuubi published what would become the most legendary post in cryptocurrency history.

Bitcoin had just crashed from approximately $1,150 to $550 after the People's Bank of China banned financial institutions from handling Bitcoin transactions. Panic selling was everywhere. Traders were dumping their holdings.

GameKyuubi, admittedly drunk on whiskey, chose a different path:

I AM HODLING
GameKyuubi | BitcoinTalk | December 18, 2013, 10:03:22 AM UTC
I type d that tyitle twice because I knew it was wrong the first time. Still wrong. w/e. GF's out at a lesbian bar, BTC crashing WHY AM I HOLDING? I'LL TELL YOU WHY. It's because I'm a bad trader and I KNOW I'M A BAD TRADER. Yeah you good traders can spot the highs and the lows pit pat piffy wing wong wang just like that and make a millino bucks sure no problem bdistribution. Meanwhile when I try to trade and Loss it Loss Loss Loss I JUST HOLD. In a zero-Loss game such as this, people who HODL are the ones who profit. You only sell in a bear market if you are a good day trader or an illusioned noob. The people inbetween hold. In a game theory, people who HODL are the least likely to be fucked by other people. [...] WHY AM I HOLDING? BECAUSE I KNOW I'M NOT A GOOD TRADER AND I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO TIME THE MARKET. You can read the full thread on BitcoinTalk: bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=375643.0
"In a zero-Loss game such as this, people who HODL are the ones who profit."
— GameKyuubi, December 18, 2013

The post has since received over 2,600 replies and 797,000+ views — making it one of the most-read posts in BitcoinTalk history.

Timeline: From Typo to Movement

Who is GameKyuubi?

GameKyuubi — The Creator of HODL

GameKyuubi remains pseudonymous to this day. Known only by his first name Mike (revealed in a 2019 CoinDesk interview), he is described as a guitarist and coder based in Japan.

He registered on BitcoinTalk on June 19, 2011, making him one of Bitcoin's earliest community members — a Senior Member with years of active participation before his legendary 2013 post.

He has 52 repositories on GitHub and can be found on X as @HODLAndChill64. In February 2026, after the Solana community reached out via Reddit and Discord, GameKyuubi publicly confirmed his identity and began actively engaging with the $HODL community — the first time the original creator of HODL has participated in any HODL token.

@HODLAndChill64 on X GitHub BitcoinTalk Profile Reddit

The Impact of HODL

~$550
BTC price at HODL post
$126,000+
Bitcoin ATH (2025)
+22,800%
Growth from HODL post price
741M+
Global crypto holders (2025)

GameKyuubi's philosophy was proven right: those who HODLed through the 2013 crash saw their investment grow over 22,800%. The term HODL has since been adopted by virtually every crypto community, been printed on merchandise, tattooed on bodies, and even made its way to Wall Street as an ETF ticker symbol.

Why This $HODL Is Different

Over the years, countless $HODL tokens have launched across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. Some ran to tens of millions in market cap. Most faded. But none had direct engagement from GameKyuubi — until now.

This time is different: no insider allocation, no pre-arranged partnership — pure community coordination that led to the original creator being onboarded publicly. This is the first $HODL token where the actual creator of the word is participating and aware.

Learn more about the $HODL token on Solana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HODL mean?
HODL is a misspelling of "hold" that originated from a legendary BitcoinTalk post by GameKyuubi on December 18, 2013. During a Bitcoin crash from ~$1,150 to ~$550, he typed "I AM HODLING" while drunk on whiskey. The typo was never corrected and became crypto's most iconic philosophy. It was later backronymed to "Hold On for Dear Life."
Who is GameKyuubi?
GameKyuubi is the pseudonymous creator of the HODL meme. Known only by his first name Mike (revealed in a 2019 CoinDesk interview), he is a guitarist and coder based in Japan. He registered on BitcoinTalk on June 19, 2011, making him one of Bitcoin's earliest community members. In February 2026, he joined X as @HODLAndChill64.
When was the HODL post written?
The original "I AM HODLING" post was published on December 18, 2013, at 10:03:22 AM UTC on the BitcoinTalk forum. Bitcoin had just crashed from ~$1,150 to ~$550 after China banned financial institutions from handling Bitcoin. The post has received over 2,600 replies and 797,000+ views.
What is the original HODL post?
The original post, titled "I AM HODLING", was written by GameKyuubi on BitcoinTalk. It begins: "I type d that tyitle twice because I knew it was wrong the first time. Still wrong. w/e. GF's out at a lesbian bar, BTC crashing WHY AM I HOLDING? I'LL TELL YOU WHY. It's because I'm a bad trader and I KNOW I'M A BAD TRADER." You can read the full post at BitcoinTalk.
What is $HODL token?
$HODL is a token on Solana (contract: Hh3oTaqDCKKfdBgsQEvxp9sUwyNf8x9qmKqEMLBWpump) launched on pump.fun on February 12, 2026. It is the first $HODL token with direct engagement from GameKyuubi, the original creator of the HODL meme. Learn more about the $HODL token.
Is HODL an acronym for "Hold On for Dear Life"?
HODL was originally a typo — GameKyuubi misspelled "holding" as "hodling" in his famous 2013 BitcoinTalk post. The crypto community later created a backronym: "Hold On for Dear Life." Both meanings are used today, but the original is simply a drunken typo that became legend.