A retail investor holding less than 1 BTC. Shrimps make up the largest category by number within the crypto market hierarchy modeled after the ocean ecosystem, followed by crabs (1–10 BTC), octopuses (10–50 BTC), fish (50–100 BTC), dolphins (100–500 BTC), sharks (500–1,000 BTC), and whales, who hold over 1,000 BTC.
The term ‘shrimp’ should not be confused with ‘hamster.’ Both are used to refer to small retail investors, but shrimps are categorized by the amount of assets in their portfolio, whereas hamsters—i.e., inexperienced investors—are commonly recognized by behavioral patterns: buying at peak prices during hype cycles, succumbing to FOMO, and following the crowd.