HACKER Q&A
📣 dieselgate

What Is a “Crypto Bro”?


I’m aware of the term and hear/read people use it all the time. But sort of feel the term doesn’t mean anything now other than negatively refer a “male involved with crypto currency”. It seems there’s a pretty common “bro” stereotype (fraternity/so-cal/etc) while Sam Bankman-Fried is being referred to as a crypto bro.

Does “bro” often seem to convey negativity now?


  👤 npalli Accepted Answer ✓
Now? It was always a negative image of someone ('bro') who is a stereotypical male overconfident of his (always male) abilities and grasp of reality in contrast to reality. The bro stereotype always existed but an increasing amount of folks migrated to crypto in the past few years leading to the crypto bro.

👤 hotpotamus
I think my favorite use of the term is "bro-science". These are the rather strange takes on human physiology that you might hear from enthusiastic gym-goers with little formal education on the subject (though they might be in quite excellent physical shape regardless).

I'm also a fan of the word "brogrammer" [0] which you can see from the existence of the wikipedia history goes back a bit.

And here's [1] a parody documentary of "bro" culture from 2006, meaning it's among the earliest of Youtube videos.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brogrammer

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zvTRQr7ns8


👤 quickthrower2
Bro the adjective is usually pejorative. Bro the noun may be friendly.

In other words: bro, I hope no one calls you a crypto bro.


👤 esperent
It's a crypto evangelist. They are almost always men, hence "bro".

I have met loads of them in real life on the "digital nomad" scene over the last decade. Maybe as many as 50. Plus I've come across many online. All male, all passionate about crypto and all determined to make me passionate about it too.

I'm trying to think if I've ever met a "crypto sis" but I don't think so.


👤 hestefisk
Crypto Bro is like Steve Stiffler from American Pie coupled with someone who does daily videos on YT talking up questionable shit coins.

SBF seems to be more intelligent than your average crypto bro (at least before FTX crashed).


👤 JohnFen
> Does “bro” often seem to convey negativity now?

In my neck of the woods, it's conveyed negativity for a rather long time.


👤 frou_dh
To me the connotation of that phrase is being a numbskull, so it applies more to the fans and hangers-on than the big players.

If you ever see one of those ugly cartoon ape profile pictures then you're looking at a crypto bro for sure.


👤 RonaldOlzheim
This video is the best possible examplation possible:

every finance bro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdWov5fjQl0


👤 smt88
It seems like you understand the term as people use it.

👤 night-rider
I never liked the term. It suggests someone who's some lost/hapless stoner type who navigates the crypto world effortlessly, when infact it's very difficult to navigate it, unless you're hella smart and...not stoned.


👤 perilunar
It's just name calling. Ignore it, and focus on the actual argument, if there is any.