ape in
/eɪp ɪn/
CommonTo buy into a cryptocurrency or NFT quickly and heavily without much research, driven by hype or fear of missing out.
Carries mild self-deprecation. People who ape in know they are not being careful. Sometimes the ape works out. Often it doesn't.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | saw it on CT. didn't read the whitepaper. just aped in. we'll see | The person bought based on Twitter hype with no research and is accepting the risk. | x, 2021 |
| 02 | friend told me to ape in at 0.003. i bought at the top of course | The person aped in late and bought at the peak, a common outcome. | reddit, 2022 |
| 03 | the chart went vertical. I couldn't help it. I aped in | A sharp price increase triggered the impulsive buy. | x, 2021 |
| 04 | never ape into anything your discord server is hyping at the same time | Group hype in a specific community is a red flag, not a signal to buy. | reddit, 2022 |
Use it when
- Buying into a hyped project without researching it first.
- Making a large impulsive buy because a token is pumping.
- Confessing you bought something based purely on social media hype.
- Describing the general behavior of buying first and asking questions later.
Do not use it when
- You researched the project and made a deliberate large investment.
- You made a small exploratory buy.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Borrowed from the broader internet use of 'ape' meaning to copy or act impulsively. Entered crypto slang around 2020-2021 during the NFT and DeFi booms when impulsive buying became extremely common.
- First seen
- 2020
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/ape-inUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0