20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization as of March 2023, along with a brief description of what they are and what they do:
- Bitcoin (BTC) – The first and most well-known cryptocurrency, designed to be a decentralized digital currency for peer-to-peer transactions.
- Ethereum (ETH) – A blockchain-based platform that enables developers to create and deploy decentralized applications and smart contracts.
- Binance Coin (BNB) – A cryptocurrency used to pay fees on the Binance exchange and for purchasing other cryptocurrencies on the platform.
- Solana (SOL) – A high-performance blockchain platform designed for decentralized applications and digital assets.
- Cardano (ADA) – A decentralized platform for building and running smart contracts and decentralized applications.
- Polkadot (DOT) – A multi-chain platform that allows different blockchains to interact with each other and share data.
- Dogecoin (DOGE) – A cryptocurrency created as a joke that has gained a large following and community.
- Avalanche (AVAX) – A platform for building decentralized applications with high throughput and low latency.
- XRP (XRP) – A digital currency used for cross-border payments and settlements.
- Terra (LUNA) – A blockchain-based payment platform that aims to provide stablecoins for different fiat currencies.
- Chainlink (LINK) – A decentralized oracle network that allows smart contracts to securely access data from external sources.
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH) – A cryptocurrency that forked from Bitcoin and aims to be a faster and cheaper alternative.
- Litecoin (LTC) – A cryptocurrency that is similar to Bitcoin but with faster transaction times and lower fees.
- Algorand (ALGO) – A blockchain platform that aims to provide fast and secure transactions for decentralized applications.
- Shiba Inu (SHIB) – A meme-inspired cryptocurrency that has gained popularity and a large community.
- Cosmos (ATOM) – A decentralized network of blockchains that allows for interoperability and communication between different chains.
- Avalanche-Ethereum Bridge (AEB) – A bridge that connects the Avalanche and Ethereum networks to allow for cross-chain communication and asset transfers.
- Polygon (MATIC) – A scaling solution for Ethereum that aims to increase its throughput and reduce transaction fees.
- Tezos (XTZ) – A decentralized blockchain platform that enables the creation and execution of smart contracts.
- BitTorrent (BTT) – A decentralized file-sharing platform that uses blockchain technology to incentivize users to share files and provide bandwidth.