The first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Bitcoin introduced the concept of a decentralised peer-to-peer electronic cash system secured by proof-of-work mining. It remains the dominant digital store of value.
Proof of Work (PoW) is the original blockchain consensus mechanism, made famous by Bitcoin. Miners compete to solve computationally expensive puzzles to validate transactions and add blocks to the chain. The difficulty automatically adjusts to maintain consistent block times.
Solana is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain capable of processing up to 65,000 transactions per second using a novel Proof of History consensus mechanism. It has become a major hub for DeFi, NFTs, and consumer crypto applications.
Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform built on peer-reviewed academic research. Founded by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, it takes a methodical, research-first approach to development. Its Ouroboros consensus mechanism was the first provably secure PoS protocol.
Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin that increased the block size to enable more transactions per second and lower fees. It emerged from the 2017 scaling debate and positions itself as the original vision of Bitcoin as peer-to-peer electronic cash.
Layer 2 (L2) is a collective term for off-chain scaling solutions that inherit the security of a Layer 1 blockchain while processing transactions faster and cheaper. Major categories include Optimistic Rollups (Arbitrum, Optimism) and ZK Rollups (StarkNet, zkSync).
XRP is the native asset of the XRP Ledger, designed for fast, low-cost international payments. Ripple Labs uses XRP to facilitate cross-border transactions for banks and financial institutions. It has been at the centre of a landmark SEC lawsuit.
Chainlink is the leading decentralised oracle network, providing smart contracts with secure access to real-world data, APIs, and external computation. It is the essential infrastructure layer connecting blockchains to off-chain information such as stock prices, weather data, and sports results.
Polkadot is a Layer 0 multi-chain network that allows different blockchains to interoperate. Created by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood, it uses a relay chain and parachain architecture letting multiple specialised blockchains run in parallel and communicate securely.
Cryptocurrency regulation encompasses the growing body of laws, rules, and enforcement actions governing digital assets. Approaches vary enormously — El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender while China banned all crypto. The EU passed comprehensive MiCA legislation in 2023.
FTX was once the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange. In November 2022, a report revealed FTX's balance sheet was dominated by its own FTT token. A bank run ensued, revealing an $8 billion hole — customer funds had been secretly lent to SBF's trading firm Alameda Research.