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What is a Chad?
The term “Chad” is Internet slang that has been widely adopted by the cryptocurrency community.
No need to be a gigachad to own
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2021
Outside of the crypto space, the meaning of the Chad meme is a stereotypical alpha male with a big ego, depicted in Internet memes as attractive, muscular, and successful. The memes often contrast this hyper-masculine and confident character with a less impressive counterpart.
Techopedia Explains
The Chad meme typically features an image of a well-built, attractive man with exaggerated facial features and body proportions. It is used to describe individuals who are perceived by the online community to be influential or successful.
History of the Chad Meme
The origins of the Chad meme can be traced back to social media sites where users shared and created content to humorously depict social dynamics and stereotypes.
The meme first went viral in 2017 based on photos of a muscular model and fitness trainer, Ernest Khalimov, and was popularized by the 4Chan anonymous discussion board. Chad slang soon began to appear on other platforms such as Reddit and Twitter.
There are debates online about whether Khalimov is a real person or a photoshopped image. Khalimov is also referred to as “GigaChad,” “the Chad to out-Chad all Chads,” “the Alpha Male of the Alpha Males,” and massive Chad.
Despite its humorous nature, the Chad meme has also sparked discussions about masculinity, societal expectations, and the portrayal of gender roles in popular culture.
How is Chad Used in Crypto?
The term has since been adopted in the crypto community. In online trading communities, a Chad is portrayed as someone who is seen as extremely successful or dominant in generating large profits from buying and selling cryptocurrencies. This usage draws parallels with the meme’s portrayal of confidence and success.
Chad memes can also be used as a compliment to describe someone who makes difficult decisions in trading coins that the community considers to be heroic.
With a surge in popularity of a new round of meme coins, a Chad Coin cryptocurrency based on the meme launched in April 2023.
Lately, the term has been used to mainly mean someone who is successful in trading risky “shitcoins” with low value, similar to a “degen.”
While the term originated to describe men, it has become gender-neutral in crypto trading.
Chad vs. GigaChad
The term “GigaChad” takes the concept of the Chad to an extreme level. It is often used humorously to emphasize exceptional qualities or achievements. A GigaChad gif can also be used to mock or troll individuals who are perceived to be unsuccessful.
Tesla CEO and crypto influencer Elon Musk famously referred to MicroStrategy CEO and Bitcoin investor Michael Saylor as a GigaChad in a tweet after Saylor disagreed with an article about Bitcoin’s energy efficiency.
Elon gets ratio’d by Mike then deletes tweet. Lulz. https://t.co/8CLfubUTvY pic.twitter.com/FuqeCfEShy
— MTCᵍᵐ (@mtcbtc) May 20, 2021
It’s important to note that memes can evolve and change over time, so the specific portrayal of Chad in crypto trading memes may vary.
