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.

the first cryptocurrency. Pushes the entire market around. Ethereum: largest smart contracts platform.

largest smart contracts platform. Ripple: a banking software company's side project. Super fast and scalable.

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.

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.

layered smart contracts platform built with academic rigour. Still in early development. Litecoin: Code fork of Bitcoin. Shorter block times and different mining algorithm.

Code fork of Bitcoin. Shorter block times and different mining algorithm. NEO: smart contracts platform. Questions around centralization. Very expensive to deploy smart contracts.

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.

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.

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.

DAG-based cryptocurrency. High scalability and free transactions. NEM: smart asset cryptocurrency that uses a unique proof-of-importance consensus algorithm.

smart asset cryptocurrency that uses a unique proof-of-importance consensus algorithm. Dash: offers standard, private, and instant transactions. Uses master nodes.

offers standard, private, and instant transactions. Uses master nodes. Monero: largest privacy coin. Uses ring signatures to conceal transaction information.

largest privacy coin. Uses ring signatures to conceal transaction information. Lisk: smart contracts platform. Code smart contracts with JavaScript.

smart contracts platform. Code smart contracts with JavaScript. TRON: distributed storage platform that allows users to access entertainment content.

distributed storage platform that allows users to access entertainment content. Ethereum Classic: Original chain of Ethereum, with the DAO hack in tact.

Original chain of Ethereum, with the DAO hack in tact. Tether: Controversial cryptocurrency pegged to the USD.

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.

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.

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.

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.

smart contract platform that connects autonomous blockchains with each other. NANO: DAG-based cryptocurrency. High scalability and free transactions.

DAG-based cryptocurrency. High scalability and free transactions. Zcash: privacy coin. Uses zero knowledge proofs to conceal transaction information.

privacy coin. Uses zero knowledge proofs to conceal transaction information. Populous: decentralized invoice finance platform.

decentralized invoice finance platform. OmiseGo: platform for payments and trading across multiple asset types. Tied to Ethereum through Plasma.

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.

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".

use this to pay fees on Binance to avoid the dreaded "dust". Bytecoin: privacy coin using CryptoNote technology. Predecessor to Monero.

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.

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.

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