I just realized that in the crypto market, the concept of holding coins is actually a pretty simple strategy but very effective if you know how to apply it correctly. Essentially, holding a coin means you keep it for a long period, not selling regardless of whether the price goes up or down, until it reaches your target price.

The term "HODL" originated in 2013 on the Bitcoin Talk forum, when a member named GameKyuubi wrote a post titled "I AM HODLING" — and from then on, this phrase became part of crypto culture. Anyone talking about HODLing means they believe their coin will take off in the future, not just today.

The beauty of holding coins is that it’s completely different from trading. While traders have to sit at their computers, monitor charts, analyze technical data, and catch market news every second... those who hold coins only need to understand basic buying and storing on wallets, and most importantly, have a steady mindset. You don’t need to be an expert, just know how to choose the right coin and be patient.

I believe the best time to hold coins is when the market is "warming up" and starting to enter an upward trend. If you participated since early 2017, any coin you bought would have been profitable, as their value increased from 30 to 3000 times in less than a year. But this also shows that timing and luck play a significant role in holding coins.

Therefore, to become a true holder, you need to trust in blockchain technology, believe that the crypto market will explode in the future when market capitalization can reach billions of dollars. You also need to have idle funds that you don’t need immediately, and most importantly, have patience and conviction.

However, I also want to emphasize that holding coins is not the only strategy. Combining both methods — holding coins and trading coins — is the best way to succeed. This approach helps reduce pressure and avoid risks if the coin you’re holding drops in value. The biggest secret is "don’t put all your eggs in one basket" — allocate your capital separately for each strategy, even create two different accounts.

When deciding to hold coins, you should choose top cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and some other promising coins. Capital preservation remains the top priority, regardless of which strategy you choose.

Recently, I’ve also seen positive signals in the market. CBOE is pushing the SEC to introduce a Bitcoin ETF, Bitcoin technology is advancing, and the list of nodes accepting Lightning Network is growing. These indicate that those who believe in Bitcoin’s future will have good reasons to hold coins long-term and avoid making hasty decisions when the market is volatile.