Copium

Lab Classification

Specimen type: Fictional substance / coping mechanism descriptor First observed: ~2003 (earliest known use), mass adoption ~2020 Current prevalence: Universal across crypto, gaming, and political communities Contagion vector: Portfolio loss → denial phase → community memes → linguistic adoption

Chemical Composition

Copium (chemical formula: C₀P₃·∞) is a fictitious gaseous substance that users “inhale” or “huff” when confronted with outcomes that contradict their expectations. It is not available at pharmacies. It does not require a prescription. The supply is infinite and demand scales with market downturns.

The compound was first synthesized on 4chan circa 2003, combining “cope” with the suffix “-ium” to create a substance name that sounds clinical enough to be taken seriously by nobody. The meme remained dormant for over a decade before achieving viral mutation during the 2020 U.S. election cycle, where supporters of losing candidates were depicted inhaling copium from various apparatus.

Crypto culture adopted copium with the enthusiasm of a community that genuinely needed it.

Delivery Methods

Laboratory observation has catalogued several copium delivery mechanisms:

• Inhaled copium — The classic. User depicted wearing a gas mask connected to a tank labeled “COPIUM.” The Pepe frog variant with the copium mask is the canonical image.
• IV copium drip — For sustained coping during extended bear markets. Hospital-grade delivery for portfolio-grade injuries.
• Copium overdose — When the coping exceeds the bounds of reality. Symptoms include claiming a 95% loss is “accumulation phase” and that the project “just needs more time.”
• Secondhand copium — Absorbed passively by reading Telegram groups where holders convince each other the chart is “forming a cup and handle.”

Diagnostic Applications

Copium levels serve as a reliable inverse indicator of market conditions:

Copium Level	Market Condition	Example Statement
Low	Bull market euphoria	”I always knew this would work”
Moderate	Early correction	”This is healthy consolidation”
High	Bear market reality	”The tech is still solid”
Critical	Near-zero	”I’m in it for the technology”
Lethal	Post-rug	”It was a learning experience”

The Wojak doomer archetype is copium’s primary mascot — the hollow-eyed, unshaven figure staring at a red portfolio while typing “still bullish” into the group chat. The This Is Fine dog represents the advanced copium user: fully surrounded by disaster, clinically calm, sipping coffee.

Pharmacological Interactions

Copium interacts with several other memetic substances:

• Hopium — A related compound that produces optimism about future outcomes. Copium is retrospective (coping with what happened); hopium is prospective (believing what will happen). Users frequently combine both.
• Seethe — When copium wears off, the user enters the seething phase. This is characterized by angry posting, blaming market makers, and threatening to “never trade again” (they will trade again).
• WAGMI — Functions as a communal copium delivery system. When one person says WAGMI in a declining market, they’re distributing copium to the entire chat.

“Copium is a perfectly rational response to an irrational market. The dose makes the poison.” — Lab pharmacology notes, 2022

Long-Term Effects

Extended copium use has no known physical side effects, as it is not a real substance. Psychological side effects include developing an immunity to red candles, an inability to feel fear, and the genuine belief that any asset you hold will “inevitably” recover.

These are the same symptoms as diamond hands. The field remains divided on whether diamond hands is a copium side effect or copium is a diamond hands prerequisite.

See also: WAGMI (community-grade copium), diamond hands (chronic copium exposure symptom).