In the crypto space, the word bag refers to the coins and tokens one is holding as part of their portfolio. Typically, the term is used to describe a significant amount of a particular cryptocurrency. There is no defined minimum, but when the value is relatively high, one could say they are holding “heavy bags” of a certain coin or token.
There are various theories that try to explain the reasons why an investor become a bagholder. On the one hand, some investors simply don’t follow what is going on in the market. Either because they have a strong belief that their bags will be valuable in the future, or because they just lack the time or interest to track the performance of their coins.
There is also a phenomenon called the disposition effect, which is likely related to the bagholders mindset. It describes the tendency of investors to stubbornly hold their bad performing bags (hoping for a recovery), while quickly selling bags that increase in value. The disposition effect relates to the fact that humans, in general, dislike losing more than they enjoy winning - even if the final result is the same.