ProgrammingValue here. Today I've decided to run through TLDRs for the top 30 cryptocurrencies. Hopefully this can guide your research.
- Bitcoin: the first cryptocurrency. Pushes the entire market around.
- Ethereum: largest smart contracts platform.
- Ripple: a banking software company's side project. Super fast and scalable.
- Bitcoin Cash: hard fork of Bitcoin. Basically Bitcoin without SegWit but with larger blocks.
- Cardano: layered smart contracts platform built with academic rigour. Still in early development.
- Litecoin: Code fork of Bitcoin. Shorter block times and different mining algorithm.
- NEO: smart contracts platform. Questions around centralization. Very expensive to deploy smart contracts.
- Stellar: Code fork of Ripple with a new consensus algorithm. Focused on community and open source development.
- EOS: high performance smart contracts platform. Instead of paying fees, users are bandwidth restricted. Questions around centralization.
- IOTA: DAG-based cryptocurrency. High scalability and free transactions.
- NEM: smart asset cryptocurrency that uses a unique proof-of-importance consensus algorithm.
- Dash: offers standard, private, and instant transactions. Uses master nodes.
- Monero: largest privacy coin. Uses ring signatures to conceal transaction information.
- Lisk: smart contracts platform. Code smart contracts with JavaScript.
- TRON: distributed storage platform that allows users to access entertainment content.
- Ethereum Classic: Original chain of Ethereum, with the DAO hack in tact.
- Tether: Controversial cryptocurrency pegged to the USD.
- QTUM: proof of stake, layered smart contracts platform consisting of the Ethereum Virtual Machine built on a UTXO blockchain.
- Vechain: supply-chain platform that will eventually use the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Several high profile corporate partnerships.
- Bitcoin Gold: Another fork of Bitcoin. Opposed to ASIC mining of Bitcoin and uses an ASIC-resistant mining algorithm.
- ICON: smart contract platform that connects autonomous blockchains with each other.
- NANO: DAG-based cryptocurrency. High scalability and free transactions.
- Zcash: privacy coin. Uses zero knowledge proofs to conceal transaction information.
- Populous: decentralized invoice finance platform.
- OmiseGo: platform for payments and trading across multiple asset types. Tied to Ethereum through Plasma.
- Steem: content-based cryptocurrency designed for social networks. You're using it right now.
- Binance Coin: use this to pay fees on Binance to avoid the dreaded "dust".
- Bytecoin: privacy coin using CryptoNote technology. Predecessor to Monero.
- Verge: privacy coin that relies on Tor to conceal its users. No cryptography is used to conceal the ledger.
- Status: Ethereum on mobile. Browser for Ethereum dApps and a decentralized messenger.
More Reading
