All terms
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.
Aping into a token minutes after launch is degen behavior. Occasionally it works, which is exactly what makes it dangerous.
That degen is a personality. It is a description of the position size relative to what somebody can afford to lose. The label is worn proudly right up to the point it stops being funny.
Common questions
Is degen an insult?
What does degen actually describe?
Where this comes up on the site
The guides that actually use this word, rather than a list of everything we have written.
Where to go next
More culture terms
Want this explained out loud?
Some of these land faster in conversation than in writing. Sessions are one to one and you can ask anything, including the things that feel too obvious to ask.