Hopium is internet slang and a meme format describing irrational optimism treated as an addictive substance. It's most commonly shown as Pepe the Frog or Wojak breathing from a tank labeled "HOPIUM"[3].

Where did Hopium come from?

The term first appeared in a December 2010 Zero Hedge article criticizing Goldman Sachs' economic outlook[3]. The meme format with Pepe attached to a hopium tank emerged on Reddit in mid-2020[3].

What does Hopium mean?

Hopium describes clinging to false hope despite evidence that a situation is bad or getting worse. Unlike Copium, which is about rationalizing a loss after it happens, Hopium is about believing things will improve when they probably won't[2].

How do you use Hopium?

Either post the Pepe/Wojak hopium tank image in response to unrealistic optimism, or use phrases like "huffing hopium" or "pass the hopium" in text. It works as both self-deprecating humor and gentle mockery of others[3].

Is Hopium still popular?

Yes. The term is widely used across Reddit, Twitter, Twitch, and Discord, particularly in crypto, gaming, and political communities. It spiked heavily during the 2020 election cycle and has stayed in regular rotation since[3].

What is the difference between Hopium and Copium?

Copium is about coping with a loss that already happened by rationalizing it. Hopium is about maintaining irrational hope that things will get better. They're companion memes that cover different phases of dealing with disappointment[2].

Who coined the term Hopium?

The earliest known web usage comes from Zero Hedge contributor Tyler Durden (a pen name) in a December 2010 article about Goldman Sachs[3].

Why is Hopium popular in crypto communities?

Crypto markets are volatile and often see dramatic price drops. The term perfectly describes investors who hold failing coins while insisting a recovery is coming[3].

What does "smoking Hopium" mean in trading?

In securities trading, being "on hopium" means holding a losing position and refusing to sell because you believe the price will bounce back[2].

Who created the Pepe Hopium meme image?

One of the earliest known Pepe hopium images was posted by Reddit user Edvard_Sidoryk to r/pepethefrog on June 27, 2020[3].

Hopium

2010Reaction image / slang / image macroactive

Published March 10, 2026 · Updated March 18, 2026

Also known as: Hopium Meme

Hopium is a portmanteau of "hope" and "opium" that describes the act of clinging to false hope like it's an addictive substance. Originating in financial commentary around 2010, the term spread to crypto communities and political discourse before becoming a full-blown meme format in 2020, most commonly depicted as Pepe the Frog or Wojak hooked up to an oxygen tank labeled "HOPIUM." It sits alongside its sister meme Copium as part of a broader internet vocabulary for processing disappointment.

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Overview

Hopium works as both internet slang and a visual meme format. As slang, it describes a metaphorical drug that keeps people irrationally optimistic when all evidence points to failure. As a meme, it most often features Pepe the Frog or Wojak characters breathing from an oxygen tank or gas mask with "HOPIUM" written on the canister. The humor comes from the self-aware admission that your optimism is basically a substance dependency. While Copium is about rationalizing a loss that already happened, Hopium is about believing things will get better despite all signs pointing otherwise2.

Origin & Background

Platform

Zero Hedge (term coinage), Reddit (meme format)

Key People

Tyler Durden / Zero Hedge, Edvard_Sidoryk

Date

2010 (term), 2020 (meme format)

The earliest known use of "hopium" on the web dates to December 1, 2010, when Zero Hedge contributor Tyler Durden published an article criticizing Goldman Sachs' economic outlook. Durden described Goldman's optimistic projections as being fueled by "hopium," implying their analysis was based on wishful thinking rather than data3. The term caught on in financial circles and appeared in multiple investment articles over the following years3.

The word got its first Urban Dictionary definition on June 25, 2018, from user Cado et Vivo, who described hopium as "the state of wallowing in self-pity combined with the delusion of potential fame/greatness"2. That definition picked up 31 likes over two years3.

The visual meme format took shape in 2020. On April 26, 2020, Redditor CryptoBitCoinUSD posted a Bitcoin-themed meme titled "Hopium" to a crypto subreddit, pulling in over 2,000 upvotes3. Then on June 27, 2020, Reddit user Edvard_Sidoryk posted an image to r/pepethefrog showing Pepe hooked up to an oxygen tank labeled "hopium," creating one of the first instances of the now-iconic visual format3.

How It Spread

The meme hit critical mass during the final weeks of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. As political tension spiked in late October and early November, hopium memes spread rapidly alongside copium memes across Reddit and Twitter3.

On October 29, 2020, Redditor NINJAsDepression posted an image of Wojak wearing a hopium tank to r/VaushV, earning over 870 upvotes in ten days3. This Wojak variant showed the format expanding beyond Pepe into the broader reaction image ecosystem.

On November 3, 2020 (Election Day), Twitter user ConnorKimball2 replied to a post from the account Accidentally Left-Wing with a Pepe hopium tank image, writing "There's hope for them, today we splurge on hopium for her." The reply received over 180 likes in six days3.

The term found a natural home in cryptocurrency communities, where investors used it to describe holding onto failing coins out of irrational optimism3. Stock traders adopted similar usage, with the slang describing anyone staying long on a position while it tanks2. Political communities also picked it up, particularly among conservative-leaning users who used it to mock what they saw as misplaced liberal optimism3.

By the early 2020s, hopium had become standard vocabulary across Reddit, Twitter, Twitch chat, and Discord, used whenever someone needed to acknowledge that their optimism was more emotional than rational.

Platforms

TwitterRedditDiscordcrypto forums

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The most common format involves either Pepe the Frog or Wojak attached to an oxygen tank, gas mask, or IV drip labeled "HOPIUM." The character is typically shown inhaling deeply with a desperate or blissed-out expression.

To create your own hopium meme:

Pick a situation where someone is clinging to unrealistic optimism (a failing crypto investment, a losing sports team's playoff hopes, waiting for a game developer to fix their game)

Pair it with the Pepe/Wojak hopium tank image, or simply caption the situation with "huffing hopium" or "pass the hopium"

The joke works best when the poster is self-aware about their own irrational hope

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

Hopium carved out a distinct niche in internet vocabulary by giving people a word for a specific emotional state that didn't have a clean label before. The financial sector adopted it first, with traders and analysts using it in articles and commentary3. Crypto communities made it a daily-use term during market downturns, where "hopium" posts spike inversely with coin prices.

The meme's pairing with Copium created a small but recognizable framework for processing disappointment online. Where Copium covers the rationalization phase, Hopium covers the denial-through-optimism phase. Together they map out the emotional arc of losing, which is why both terms show up heavily in gaming, sports, politics, and investing communities.

Urban Dictionary's multiple definitions track how the word shifted over time, from a niche financial insult to a broadly understood internet term for delusional optimism2.

Fun Facts

The Zero Hedge article that coined "hopium" on the web was written under the pen name Tyler Durden, the fictional character from Fight Club3.

Urban Dictionary's 2018 definition of hopium focused on personal delusion rather than financial markets, showing how the term's meaning shifted between communities2.

The Wikipedia article for "Hopium" actually covers a French hydrogen car company founded in 2019, not the meme1.

Hopium and Copium tend to spike in search interest during the same events, particularly elections and crypto market crashes.

Derivatives & Variations

Hopium addiction references

A variation of Hopium

(2021)

Hopium-induced euphoria memes

A variation of Hopium

(2021)

Hopium vs reality comparisons

A variation of Hopium

(2021)

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

1
Hopiumencyclopedia
2
Hopium - Urban Dictionarydictionary
3
Hopium - Know Your Memeencyclopedia