Cryptocurrencies
The world of digital assets and cryptocurrencies has witnessed exponential growth since the inception of Bitcoin in 2009. With each passing year, the crypto ecosystem expands, introducing innovative solutions, platforms, and tokens that collectively aim to redefine the boundaries of finance, technology, and governance. This compilation provides a comprehensive overview of some of the most prominent cryptocurrencies in the market. It sheds light on their foundational backgrounds, unique value propositions, and underlying mechanisms, offering both newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts a snapshot of the diverse landscape of the crypto realm. The tables below detail various aspects of each cryptocurrency, from founders and creation dates to consensus mechanisms and maximum supply.
| Cryptocurrency | Symbol | Founder(s) | Creation Date | Maximum Supply | Consensus Mechanism | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0x | ZRX | Will Warren, Amir Bandeali | 2017 | No Hard Cap | Proof of Stake | A protocol that facilitates the decentralized exchange of ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. |
| Aave | AAVE | Stani Kulechov | 2020 | No Hard Cap | ??? | A decentralized lending and borrowing protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain. |
| Algorand | ALGO | Silvio Micali | 2019 | 10 Billion | Pure Proof of Stake | A blockchain platform that aims to provide a secure and scalable infrastructure for decentralized applications and transactions. |
| Avalanche | AVAX | Emin Gün Sirer | 2020 | 720 Million | Avalanche | A platform that enables the creation of decentralized applications and the issuance of new blockchain assets. |
| Basic Attention Token | BAT | Brendan Eich, Brian Bondy | 2017 | 1.5 Billion | Ethereum-based | A utility token used in the Brave browser to reward users and content creators. |
| Binance Coin | BNB | Changpeng Zhao | 2017 | 200 Million | Binance Chain | The native cryptocurrency of the Binance exchange platform. |
| Bitcoin | BTC | Satoshi Nakamoto | 2009 | 21 Million | Proof of Work | The first and most well-known decentralized cryptocurrency. |
| Bitcoin Cash | BCH | Bitcoin Community | 2017 | 21 Million | Proof of Work | A cryptocurrency that resulted from a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, aiming to increase scalability and transaction speed. |
| Bitcoin Gold | BTG | ??? | 2017 | 21 Million | Proof of Work | A cryptocurrency that emerged from a Bitcoin hard fork, aiming to make mining more decentralized. |
| Bitcoin SV | BSV | ??? | 2018 | 21 Million | Proof of Work | A cryptocurrency that emerged from a Bitcoin Cash hard fork, aiming to restore the original Bitcoin protocol. |
| Cardano | ADA | Charles Hoskinson | 2017 | 45 Billion | Ouroboros | A blockchain platform that aims to provide a secure and scalable infrastructure for the development of decentralized applications. |
| Celsius | CEL | Alex Mashinsky | 2017 | ??? | Ethereum-based | A decentralized lending and borrowing platform that offers interest-earning accounts for cryptocurrencies. |
| Chainlink | LINK | Sergey Nazarov, Steve Ellis | 2017 | 1 Billion | Ethereum-based | A decentralized oracle network that connects smart contracts with real-world data. |
| Compound | COMP | Robert Leshner | 2018 | 10 Million | Ethereum-based | A decentralized lending protocol that allows borrowing and lending of various cryptocurrencies. |
| Cosmos | ATOM | Jae Kwon, Ethan Buchman | 2017 | No Hard Cap | Tendermint BFT | A decentralized network of interconnected blockchains aiming to enable seamless communication between them. |
| Dash | DASH | Evan Duffield | 2014 | 18.9 Million | Proof of Work/Proof of Service | A cryptocurrency focused on privacy and instant transactions. |
| Decred | DCR | Company 0 | 2016 | 21 Million | Hybrid PoW/PoS | A cryptocurrency with a hybrid proof-of-work and proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. |
| DigiByte | DGB | Jared Tate | 2013 | 21 Billion | Multi-algo PoW | A cryptocurrency that focuses on security, decentralization, and fast transaction speeds. |
| Dogecoin | DOGE | Billy Markus, Jackson Palmer | 2013 | No Hard Cap | Proof of Work | A cryptocurrency that started as a meme but has gained a significant following. |
| EOS | EOS | Dan Larimer, Brendan Blumer | 2018 | No Hard Cap | Delegated PoS | A blockchain platform that aims to provide a user-friendly environment for decentralized applications. |
| Ethereum | ETH | Vitalik Buterin, et al. | 2015 | No Hard Cap | Proof of Work (transitioning to Proof of Stake) | A blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications. |
| Ethereum Classic | ETC | Ethereum Community | 2016 | No Hard Cap | Proof of Work | A continuation of the original Ethereum blockchain after a hard fork to reverse a hacking incident. |
| FTX Token | FTT | Sam Bankman-Fried | 2019 | 350 Million | ??? | The native cryptocurrency of the FTX exchange, which offers derivatives trading and innovative products. |
| Huobi Token | HT | Leon Li | 2018 | 500 Million | Ethereum-based | The native utility token of the Huobi cryptocurrency exchange. |
| IOTA | MIOTA | David Sønstebø, et al. | 2016 | 2.78 Billion | Tangle | A cryptocurrency designed for the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling machine-to-machine transactions. |
| Kusama | KSM | Gavin Wood | 2019 | ??? | Nominated PoS | A scalable and interoperable blockchain platform that allows for experimentation and innovation in the Polkadot ecosystem. |
| Litecoin | LTC | Charlie Lee | 2011 | 84 Million | Proof of Work | A peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that offers faster transaction confirmation times compared to Bitcoin. |
| Maker | MKR | Rune Christensen, et al. | 2015 | No Hard Cap | Ethereum-based | A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that provides a stablecoin (DAI) pegged to the US dollar. |
| Monero | XMR | Nicolas van Saberhagen | 2014 | No Hard Cap | Proof of Work | A privacy-focused cryptocurrency that prioritizes anonymous transactions. |
| NEM | XEM | ??? | 2015 | 9 Billion | Proof of Importance | A blockchain platform that aims to provide customizable smart contracts and enterprise solutions. |
| Neo | NEO | Da Hongfei, Erik Zhang | 2014 | 100 Million | dBFT | A smart contract platform that aims to digitize assets and automate the management of digital identities. |
| OMG Network | OMG | Jun Hasegawa, Donnie Harinsut | 2017 | 140 Million | Ethereum-based | A scaling solution for Ethereum that aims to increase transaction speed and reduce fees. |
| Ontology | ONT | Jun Li | 2017 | 1 Billion | VBFT | A high-performance blockchain platform that focuses on identity and data management. |
| Polkadot | DOT | Dr. Gavin Wood | 2020 | No Hard Cap | Nominated PoS | A multi-chain platform that enables different blockchains to interoperate and share information. |
| Qtum | QTUM | Patrick Dai, et al. | 2016 | 107 Million | Proof of Stake | A blockchain platform that combines the security of Bitcoin’s UTXO model with the smart contract capabilities of Ethereum. |
| Ren | REN | Taiyang Zhang, Loong Wang | 2017 | 1 Billion | Sub-zero Knowledge | A protocol that enables the interoperability and transfer of cryptocurrencies across different blockchains. |
| Reserve Rights | RSR | Nevin Freeman, et al. | 2019 | ??? | Ethereum-based | A stablecoin protocol that aims to maintain a stable value while remaining decentralized. |
| Solana | SOL | Anatoly Yakovenko | 2020 | No Hard Cap | Proof of History | A high-performance blockchain platform designed for decentralized applications and crypto-currencies. |
| Stellar | XLM | Jed McCaleb, Joyce Kim | 2014 | 50 Billion | Stellar Consensus | A platform that facilitates fast, low-cost international money transfers and decentralized applications. |
| SushiSwap | SUSHI | ??? | 2020 | No Hard Cap | Ethereum-based | A decentralized exchange and automated market maker built on the Ethereum blockchain. |
| Synthetix | SNX | Kain Warwick | 2017 | ??? | Ethereum-based | A decentralized synthetic asset platform that enables the creation and trading of synthetic assets. |
| Tezos | XTZ | Arthur Breitman, Kathleen Breitman | 2017 | ??? | Liquid Proof of Stake | A self-amending blockchain platform that allows for the creation and execution of smart contracts. |
| Terra | LUNA | Do Kwon, Daniel Shin | 2018 | ??? | Tendermint-based | A stablecoin-focused blockchain protocol that aims to provide price stability and scalability. |
| THETA | THETA | Mitch Liu, Jieyi Long | 2018 | 1 Billion | Multi-Level BFT | A decentralized video delivery network that aims to improve video streaming, reduce costs, and enhance user experience. |
| TRON | TRX | Justin Sun | 2017 | 100 Billion | Delegated PoS | A blockchain-based platform that focuses on content sharing and entertainment applications. |
| VeChain | VET | Sunny Lu | 2015 | 86.7 Billion | Proof of Authority | A blockchain platform that aims to improve supply chain management and product authenticity. |
| Waves | WAVES | Alexander Ivanov | 2016 | 100 Million | Leased PoS | A blockchain platform that allows for the creation, transfer, and exchange of digital assets. |
| XRP | XRP | Chris Larsen, Jed McCaleb | 2012 | 100 Billion | Consensus | A digital currency used in the Ripple payment protocol. |
| yearn.finance | YFI | Andre Cronje | 2020 | 36,666 | Ethereum-based | A decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that aims to optimize yield farming strategies. |
| Zcash | ZEC | Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn | 2016 | 21 Million | Proof of Work | A privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses zero-knowledge proofs to enable shielded transactions. |