Flipping is the practice of buying an asset and selling it again soon afterwards for a quick profit, rather than holding it for the long term. The term began in property, where investors buy, renovate and resell houses, and in share markets, where it describes buying shares in an initial public offering and selling them on the first day of trading. In crypto, flippers buy newly launched tokens or non-fungible tokens at mint or early in trading and resell them when hype pushes prices up. Flipping profits depend on timing, fees and finding a buyer willing to pay more, and in fast markets prices can fall before a sale is possible. Critics link heavy flipping to bubbles and greater fool behaviour. In many countries short-term gains are taxed more heavily than long-term ones. Also see day trading.
Last updated 13 Nov 2026