What does Shill mean?
To promote something for personal gain
Detailed Explanation
A 'shill' is a person who promotes or endorses something (like a product, service, or cryptocurrency) while pretending to be an impartial third party. To 'shill' is the act of this disingenuous promotion. The shill has a hidden agenda, usually a vested interest in the success of what they are promoting. It's a derogatory term implying deceit.
Usage Examples
“That account only posts positive things about one crypto coin; he's clearly a shill.”
“Don't shill your garbage project in this chat.”
“She got a lot of criticism for acting as a shill for that multi-level marketing scheme.”
Origin & History
The term 'shill' originated in the early 20th century, likely from carny slang, to describe a person planted in an audience to feign enthusiasm and lure in customers. Its use became widespread online with the rise of e-commerce and especially in the unregulated world of cryptocurrency, where anonymous shilling is rampant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a paid sponsorship the same as shilling?
Not if it's disclosed. The key element of shilling is the deception and the pretense of impartiality. A transparent, disclosed advertisement or sponsorship is not considered shilling.