Whether we like it or not, but it is almost impossible to talk about blockchain without mentioning cryptocurrencies. There are two facts that often kickstart any discussion of cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin is the king of all cryptocurrencies. It is by far the largest and most widely used blockchain application.
- There are thousands of cryptocurrencies and it is almost impossible to know, distinguish and understand them all.
We have recently came across this TechCrunch blog post, which describes 100 different cryptocurrencies in four words or less. Even though it is from a couple of years ago, most of these are still relevant and true.
Name | Sym. | Description ----------------|-------|------------------------------------------ Bitcoin | BTC | Digital gold Ethereum | ETH | Programmable contracts and money Bitcoin Cash | BCH | Bitcoin clone Ripple | XRP | Enterprise payment settlement network Litecoin | LTC | Faster Bitcoin Dash | DASH | Privacy-focused Bitcoin clone NEO | NEO | Chinese-market Ethereum NEM | XEM | Batteries-included digital assets Monero | XMR | Private digital cash Ethereum Classic| ETC | Ethereum clone IOTA | MIOTA | Internet-of-things payments Qtum | QTUM | Ethereum contracts on Bitcoin OmiseGO | OMG | Banking, remittance, and exchange Zcash | ZEC | Private digital cash BitConnect | BCC | Madoff-like investment fund Lisk | LSK | Decentralized applications in JavaScript Cardano | ADA | Layered currency and contracts Tether | USDT | Price = 1 USD Stellar Lumens | XLM | Digital IOUs EOS | EOS | Decentralized applications on WebAssembly Hshare | HSR | Blockchain switchboard Waves | WAVES | Decentralized exchange and crowdfunding Stratis | STRAT | Decentralized applications in C# Komodo | KMD | Decentralized ICOs Ark | ARK | Blockchain switchboard Electroneum | ETN | Monero clone Bytecoin | BCN | Privacy-focused cryptocurrency Steem | STEEM | Reddit with money voting Ardor | ARDR | Blockchain for spawning blockchains Binance Coin | BNB | Pay Binance exchange fees Augur | REP | Decentralized prediction market Populous | PPT | Invoice trading futures Decred | DCR | Bitcoin with alternative governance TenX | PAY | Cryptocurrency credit card MaidSafeCoin | MAID | Rent disk space BitcoinDark | BTCD | Zcoin close BitShares | BTS | Decentralized exchange Golem | GNT | Rent other people's computers PIVX | PIVX | Inflationary Dash clone Gas | GAS | Pay fees on Neo TRON | TRX | In-app-purchases Vertcoin | VTC | Bitcoin clone MonaCoin | MONA | Japanese Dogecoin Factom | FCT | Decentralized record keeping Basic Attention | BAT | Decentralized ad network SALT | SALT | Cryptocurrency-backed loans Kyber Network | KNC | Decentralized exchange Dogecoin | DOGE | Serious meme bitcoin clone DigixDAO | DGD | Organisation manages tokenized gold Veritaseum | VERI | Vaporware Walton | WTC | IoT Blockchain SingularDTV | SNGLS | Decentralized Netflix Bytom | BTM | Physical assets as tokens Byteball Bytes | GBYTE | Decentralized database and currency GameCredits | GAME | Video game currency Metaverse ETP | ETP | Chinese Ethereum plus identity GXShares | GXS | Decentralized Chinese Equifax Syscoin | SYS | Decentralized marketplace Siacoin | SC | Rent disk space Status | SNT | Decentralized application browser 0x | ZRX | Decentralized exchange Verge | XVG | Privacy Dogecoin Lykke | LKK | Digital asset exchange Civic | CVC | Identity and Authentication App Blocknet | BLOCK | Decentralized exchange Metal | MTL | Payments with rewards program Iconomi | ICN | Digital asset investment funds Aeternity | AE | Decentralized apps (prototype) DigiByte | DGB | Faster Bitcoin Bancor | BNT | Token Index Funds Ripio Credit | RCN | Co-signed Cryptocurrency Loans ATMChain | ATM | Advertising network Gnosis | GNO | Decentralized prediction market VeChain | VEN | Supply chain item IDs Pura | PURA | Cryptocurrency Particl | PART | Privacy marketplace and chat KuCoin Shares | KCS | Profit-sharing exchange fees Bitquence | BQX | Mint for cryptocurrency investments FunFair | FUN | Decentralized casino ChainLink | LINK | External data for contracts Power Ledger | POWR | Airbnb for electricity Nxt | NXT | Cryptocurrency and marketplace Monaco | MCO | Cryptocurrency credit card Cryptonex | CNX | Zerocoin clone MCAP | MCAP | Mining investment fund Storj | STORJ | Rent disk space ZenCash | ZEN | Privacy-focused Bitcoin clone Nexus | NXS | Bitcoin clone Neblio | NEBL | Decentralized application platform Zeusshield | ZSC | Decentralized insurance Streamr DATAcoin| DATA | Real-time data marketplace ZCoin | XZC | Private digital cash NAV Coin | NAV | Bitcoin with private transactions AdEx | ADX | Advertising exchange Open Trading | OTN | Decentralized exchange SmartCash | SMART | Zcoin clone with rewards Bitdeal | BDL | Bitcoin clone Loopring | LRC | Decentralized exchange Edgeless | EDG | Decentralized casino FairCoin | FAIR | Bitcoin that rewards savers
And if you are interested in what are the top 100 cryptocurrencies today, as opposite to two years ago, visit CoinMarketCap for up-to-date statistics.