Crypto bro

The caricature took shape during the 2017 and 2021 bull markets: someone who talks about crypto at every opportunity, promises friends that a coin will make them rich, posts screenshots of gains and luxury purchases and dismisses critics as people who do not get it. Mainstream media and comedians used the label widely, and it became shorthand for the speculative, male-dominated image of the industry.

Within crypto, the term is used both as self-mockery and as criticism. Builders and long-term investors often use it to distance themselves from hype merchants, while sceptics apply it to the whole sector. The stereotype has also been linked to aggressive marketing, celebrity promotions and scams that targeted young investors.

Like any stereotype, it is unfair to the many people who work on crypto technology or invest cautiously, and the industry's user base has become more diverse. But it persists because the behaviour it describes, overconfidence and get-rich-quick evangelism, shows up in every bull market.