HODL and BUIDL

if running is the only way to reach the finish line on time, but you can’t run — it’s still better to walk than sit.

If you can’t walk, crawl. Just keep moving.

Crypto introduced two terms in my vocabulary — HODL and BUIDL.

They grabbed my attention because they were spelled wrong. But that was the point. Web3 challenges the status-quo, and mis-spelling was a way to grab eyeballs.

HODL (or hold) means HOLDING of cryptocurrencies. In traditional sense, we can compare it with investing in equity and holding it for a long period. The longer you hold, the more wealth you accumulate. Thanks to compounding.

BUIDL (or build) came later and means BUILDING. It’s an active way to build wealth as opposed to passively investing and holding. It asks you to build in web3. In traditional sense, we can compare it with creating our own business instead of investing in someone else’s.

In both the cases, the accumulation of wealth happens when you remain in the game for long. Quick win stories are gimmicks and unsustainable.

HODL ⊂ BUIDL ⇏ HODL < BUIDL

HODL is a subset of BUIDL, because when you build you essentially hold shares of your own business. That does not make HODL any lesser than BUIDL.

HODL is less riskier of the two, and is easier to get started with. If you can’t buidl as of now, begin with hodling. Because hodling also essentially means helping someone buidl.


It’s a positive-sum game with no losers. Losers are only those who don’t play the game at all — those who would rather sit and think, instead of crawling and walking.

Further Reading