Glossary
What does FUD mean?
In one sentence
FUD means fear, uncertainty and doubt — but the word is frequently used to dismiss legitimate criticism, so treat it carefully.
FUD originally described deliberately spread misinformation intended to drive a price down. That does happen.
The problem is how the term is now used. In crypto communities, “FUD” is often deployed against any critical question — about a project’s finances, its team, its token distribution or its claims — as a way of ending the discussion without answering it. Calling a concern FUD is not a rebuttal.
A useful test: does the response engage with the substance, or only with the motive of the person raising it? Projects with good answers give them. Communities that reflexively label all criticism as FUD, and drive out anyone asking, are exhibiting a warning sign rather than defending against one.
Some of the most accurate warnings about major collapses were dismissed as FUD for months beforehand.
For example
"That is just FUD" is not an answer to "where are the reserves held?"