Note that the landscape of cryptocurrencies changes rapidly, and this list may not be current or exhaustive. The following are some of the most popular cryptocurrencies and their basic characteristics whether current or historical.
- Bitcoin (BTC): The first and most well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is often used as a store of value and a hedge against traditional financial market instability.
- Ethereum (ETH): Ethereum is a blockchain platform for smart contracts, with its native token ETH. It enables decentralized applications (DApps), and is at the forefront of the DeFi (decentralized finance) and NFT (non-fungible tokens) movements.
- Binance Coin (BNB): Native token for the Binance exchange, used to pay for transaction fees within the exchange, participate in token sales, and more.
- Cardano (ADA): A proof-of-stake blockchain platform aiming to provide a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem. It is in the process of launching smart contract capabilities.
- Tether (USDT): A stablecoin pegged to the U.S. Dollar, often used as a safe harbor during volatile market conditions.
- XRP (XRP): Developed by Ripple Labs, it’s used for fast, low-cost international money transfers.
- Dogecoin (DOGE): Initially started as a meme, Dogecoin has gained popularity and has been used for tipping content creators online.
- Polkadot (DOT): Aims to enable a completely decentralized web where users are in control. Polkadot facilitates cross-blockchain transfers of any type of data or asset.
- Uniswap (UNI): A token for a popular decentralized trading protocol, Uniswap enables automated liquidity provision on Ethereum.
- Litecoin (LTC): A peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that was developed in response to several key perceived limitations of Bitcoin.
- Chainlink (LINK): A decentralized oracle network which aims to connect smart contracts with data from the real world.
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH): A hard fork from Bitcoin, with the aim of having faster transactions by increasing the block size.
- Solana (SOL): A fast, secure, and scalable blockchain providing open infrastructure for DApps and crypto-currencies.
- Stellar (XLM): A platform that connects banks, payment systems, and people, to move money quickly, reliably, and at almost no cost.
- Theta Network (THETA): A blockchain-powered network purpose-built for video streaming.
- VeChain (VET): Aims to use distributed governance and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to create an ecosystem which solves some of the major problems with supply chain management.
- Aave (AAVE): An open-source and non-custodial liquidity protocol for earning interest on deposits and borrowing assets.
- Monero (XMR): A private, secure, and untraceable cryptocurrency, popular for its advanced privacy aspects.
- Cosmos (ATOM): An ecosystem of blockchains that can scale and interoperate with each other.
- EOS (EOS): A blockchain protocol that enables horizontal scaling of DApps, allowing developers to efficiently create high-performance distributed applications.
The rapid advancement and creation of new cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects mean that this list can change significantly within a short period. Each of these projects has its own potential applications and implications for commerce and technology, from facilitating global transactions, to creating decentralized applications, to ensuring privacy and security.