Orca Crypto
Culture term

Degen

Short for degenerate, worn as a badge by high risk traders.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

Short for degenerate, worn as a badge by high risk traders.

A degen chases speculative plays with full awareness that most will fail. The term is affectionate and self aware rather than insulting, and it describes a temperament more than a strategy.

Degen behavior is fine with money you have genuinely written off. It becomes a problem when the same approach is applied to money you need.

In practice

Aping into a token minutes after launch is degen behavior. Occasionally it works, which is exactly what makes it dangerous.

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