Apeing or to Ape In: Meaning, Origin, and Spread

Apeing or to Ape In is a slang term used in the crypto community to describe the act of investing in a cryptocurrency, often a new or emerging coin

output: Apeing In (Crypto)

Apeing or to Ape In is a slang term used in the crypto community to describe the act of investing in a cryptocurrency, usually a new or emerging coin, out of a fear of missing out (FOMO), failing to conduct the proper level of research to determine whether or not it's a sound investment. The term is purportedly derived from apes, which are seen as lower-IQ beings than humans, painting the act of "apeing in" on a coin as a stupid, risky move. It is also purported to have been bolstered by the success of the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, although the term's use predates the launch of the collection. The term was popularized online in 2020 and is closely related to the term "degen", which is also used to describe someone who makes hasty investments without conducting the proper research. The term "apeing" is commonly misspelled as "aping."

Origin

The exact origins of the term "apeing" in relation to crypto are unclear. The term has been used since as early as 2020 on sites like X / Twitter, with one of the earliest examples appearing in a post on August 27th, 2020 by X[1] user @socrypt, sharing a video of three men dancing under the caption, *The Fellas apeing into a coin."

On December 7th, the term was defined by happycoin[2] for the first known time, defining it as "the act of investing in something quickly and with no research."

The Fellas apeing into a coin

pic.twitter.com/UCe7Kokgzm

— soc (@socrypt) August 27, 2020

Spread

Apeing has been defined by several other crypto-related blogs throughout the 2020s, including the CoinMonks Medium[3] page on March 11th, 2022, which includes a comic on what apeing means. The comic claims the term is inspired by the Bored Ape Yacht Club's success, however, this is unconfirmed. It also spells apeing as "aping," which is the less commonly used spelling in relation to crypto.

On November 1st, 2024, YouTuber[4] Blum posted a video in which he defines several crypto terms, including "apeing," garnering over 4 million views in a month.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References

[1] X – socrypt

[2] Happycoin – definitions

[3] Medium – CoinMonksan apeing comic

[4] YouTube – Blumoutput