What does FUD mean?

Short for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, FUD is negative disinformation that is spread purposefully in order to cast doubt on a project.

Usage:

Some people like to spread FUD because they missed out.
There are a lot of FUDders on Twitter.

Full Definition:

The term FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt, or more emphatically, “Fucked Up Disinformation”.

The term was popularized in the world of software, where companies such as Microsoft were known for spreading disinformation in an attempt to tarnish competitors.

The term has since come to be adopted widely in the NFT and crypto community, which has many critics.

NFTs, for example, are often criticized for being nothing more than JPEGs which can be downloaded for free, even though NFTs on VeVe use high-quality 3D models and have utility.

Likewise, many people write off the entire crypto space because of the high energy costs associated with Bitcoin and Ethereum, even though layer-2 scaling solutions such as IMX have much lower energy requirements and are carbon-neutral.

The term FUD is appropriate when referring to disinformation and misinformed hate, but tends to be overused within the crypto space because there is a financial incentive to shut out criticism.

Calling legitimate cricism FUD or accusing someone of being a FUDder can be a way to shut down any discussion, and prevent people from raising legitimate concerns, leading to a cult-like mentality in some crypto communities.