HOME
/
GLOSSARY
/
WAGMI

WAGMI

WAGMI stands for "We're All Gonna Make It." It is a rallying cry in crypto communities that expresses collective optimism about long-term gains, shared belief in a project, or the overall trajectory of the market. You will see it in Discord servers, on Twitter, and in post-pump celebration threads across every corner of crypto.

Where WAGMI Came From

The phrase originated in bodybuilding communities years before crypto adopted it. Fitness forums used "we're all gonna make it" as encouragement, usually attributed to Aziz "Zyzz" Shavershian, an Australian bodybuilder and internet personality who died in 2011. The expression meant persisting through hard training toward a shared goal.

Crypto Twitter absorbed the phrase around 2020 during the DeFi boom and used it the same way: as motivation during market downturns and as celebration during runs. By 2021, it was ubiquitous across NFT communities, altcoin forums, and Bitcoin maximalist circles alike.

How WAGMI Is Used in Practice

Context shapes what WAGMI actually communicates. After a major price gain, it signals victory and shared reward. During a correction or a brutal bear market, it signals resolve: the setback is temporary and the long-term thesis still holds.

Projects use WAGMI to build group identity. When a community ties the phrase to its token or collection, it becomes shorthand for "we are all aligned and committed." That shared belief can sustain communities through drawdowns that would otherwise scatter retail investors.

WAGMI also functions as a filter. Saying it in the wrong community, or at the wrong moment, signals inexperience or naivety. Seasoned traders who have been through multiple market cycles use it selectively and with irony as often as sincerity.

NGMI: The Counter-Term That Defines WAGMI

WAGMI and NGMI ("Not Gonna Make It") are two sides of the same coin. NGMI is used to call out poor decision-making, panic selling at the bottom, or falling for obvious scams. Where WAGMI is inclusive and optimistic, NGMI is pointed and often harsh.

Saying someone is NGMI is not always cruel. In many communities it functions as a warning: whoever takes that action is making a mistake they will regret. You will also see HFSP, "Have Fun Staying Poor," which is even sharper and directed at people who dismiss crypto entirely.

Term Meaning When It Is Used
WAGMI We're All Gonna Make It During gains, as encouragement in downturns
NGMI Not Gonna Make It Calling out bad decisions or panic behavior
HFSP Have Fun Staying Poor Directed at critics who reject crypto

Why Crypto Slang Like WAGMI Matters

Community language is infrastructure in crypto. Projects without strong shared vocabulary and identity struggle to maintain cohesion during market downturns. WAGMI and its associated terms create a cultural shorthand that bonds holders, signals in-group status, and sustains belief when price action alone would not.

If you are new to crypto communities, learning the vocabulary is as important as understanding the technology. The emotional layer of crypto markets moves prices as reliably as on-chain fundamentals, and slang like WAGMI sits at the center of that emotional infrastructure.

Sources

https://decrypt.co/resources/wagmi-meaning-crypto-slang
https://www.coindesk.com/learn/wagmi-ngmi-gm-the-language-of-crypto-twitter-explained

About the Author
Jan Strandberg is the Founder and CEO of Acquire.Fi. He brings over a decade of experience scaling high-growth ventures in fintech and crypto.

Before founding Acquire.Fi, Jan was Co-Founder of YIELD App and the Head of Marketing at Paxful, where he played a central role in the business’s growth and profitability. Jan's strategic vision and sharp instinct for what drives sustainable growth in emerging markets have defined his career and turned early-stage platforms into category leaders.
Buy and sell secondaries
Trade SAFT, SAFE notes, locked tokens, and other digital assets in the public Secondaries and OTC marketplace
Acquire a frontier tech business
Browse our curated list of frontier tech businesses and projects available for acquisition; including revenue-generating crypto platforms, DeFi projects, and licensed financial organizations.