Today I would like to tell you about the top 10 cryptocurrencies according to the opinion of the site coinmarketcap.com. I will describe their characteristics and explain why they are so cool.

Bitcoin (BTC) — the 1st place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

A peer-to-peer payment system using the self-titled pay unit and the self-titled data transfer protocol. To ensure the functioning and protection of the system, cryptographic methods are used. All information about transactions between system addresses is available in public form. The network was launched on January 3, 2009.

The most popular cryptocurrency in the world. Like most cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has such advantages as: decentralization, anonymity, transparency, low commission, high transaction speed. Its limited functionality could be called the disadvantage of Bitcoin, because it is intended only for payment for goods / services and exchange between users.

Ethereum (ETH) — the 2nd place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

The platform for creating decentralized online services based on the blockchain, working on the basis of smart contracts. Implemented as a single decentralized virtual machine. The network was launched on July 30, 2015.

Ethereum is a public software platform based on blockchain technology that allows developers to create and deploy decentralized applications, which is its main advantage.

Ethereum blockchain has unusual features. For example, it allows to create ‘smart contracts’. The name reflects their essence. It is a contract that works automatically and implements enforcement, management, execution and payment. Tokens for ICO are made on the Ethereum blockchain most often.

Ripple (XRP) — the 3rd place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

The real-time gross calculations, cryptocurrency exchange and money transfer system developed by Ripple is called the ripple transaction protocol. It is built on a distributed Internet protocol with an open source code, a consensus register (ledger) and its own cryptocurrency, called XRP. Launched in 2012

Ripple aims to provide “safe, instant and almost free global financial transactions of any size without refunds”.

The main advantages of Ripple:

— Cheaper payments. Because of Ripple does not belong to anyone, the cost of payments is being reduced. Merchants who accept payments through Ripple can save billions of dollars in fees.

— Faster payments. Because of Ripple transactions are performed in automatic mode, the payment can be completed in a few seconds. By permitting access to money earlier, Ripple can help accelerate commercial turnover.

— Simple currency exchange. Ripple allows to exchange currency without additional fees. It makes international trade easier and more profitable.

— Available finances. Since Ripple requires only an Internet connection, it can provide financial services to billions of people in those regions of the world where banks are not enough.

— Interconnected finance. By creating a common protocol for money management, Ripple simplifies transactions between independent enterprises.

— It reduces market friction and inefficiency of the financial system.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) — the 4th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

A peer-to-peer payment system, a Bitcoin fork, separated from it. Branching occurred on August 1, 2017. To ensure the functioning and protection of the system, cryptographic methods are used. All information about transactions between system addresses is available in public form.

Those who owned Bitcoin before August 1, 2017, became the owners of Bitcoin Cash automatically. To prevent double spending, Bitcoin Cash transactions use a new signature hashing algorithm that is not valid on the Bitcoin Legacy network. This prevents the repetition of Bitcoin Cash transactions in Bitcoin blockchain and vice versa.

The authors of Bitcoin Cash state that unlike Bitcoin there is no unified team of developers in Bitcoin Cash: instead, there are several independent groups. Such decentralization creates an additional degree of protection.

In the future, developers are considering the possibility of increasing the volume of blocks even more.

EOS (EOS) — the 5th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

EOS is a new blockchain platform using the delegated Proof-of-Stake protocol (DPOS).

It was launched by the company Block.one, registered in the Cayman Islands. The main developer of the project is Dan Larimer.

The EOS project is a kind of software that is represented by integrated blockchain technologies and the ability to perform horizontal and vertical scaling of applications that operate on the principles of decentralization. The developers of the EOS coin have achieved this result by creating a special design that mimics the operating system. On the basis of this operating system you can create various applications. In this case, the use of EOS allows you to operate with accounts, databases, use authentication, asynchronous communication and planning options to develop applications on a huge number of clusters or CPU cores. EOS Features, if we conclude them in just a few words, consist in the use of blockchain technology to provide scaling with a frequency of up to several million operations per second, with the exception of the use of the board. This project allows developers to create and optimize applications of a decentralized type in an incredibly fast and simplified way.

Litecoin (LTC) — the 6th in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

A peer-to-peer digital payment system using the self-titled cryptocurrency, a Bitcoin fork. After Segwit support was activated for Litecoin, the problem of scaling inherent in Bitcoin was solved. Litecoin can be used for exchanging for Bitcoin or fiat money in exchangers, as well as for digital payment for goods / services from sellers ready to accept them. The network was launched on October 12, 2011.

The chain of Litecoin blocks differs from Bitcoin, because it generates blocks on average every 2.5 minutes (four times faster than Bitcoin). This means that system participants, for example coin sellers, who receive or send them, making transactions with a depth equal to one block, are guaranteed to receive faster confirmations.

Cardano (ADA) — the 7th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

Cardano is a decentralized blockchain open-source platform on smart contracts, launched in September 2017 by Blockchain Development Output Hong Kong (IOHK). ADA cryptocurrency operates on the basis of the Cardano platform. It is in the process of development, but recently Cardano cryptocurrency has been added to the Centra wallet.

The platform runs on the Proof-of-Stake algorithm called Ouroboros, which determines how individual nodes achieve consensus across the entire network. The algorithm is an important part of the infrastructure that supports the ADA cryptocurrency. According to the developers, the security level of Ouroboros is comparable to the level of the Bitcoin blockchain. This is the first algorithm that has been reviewed at the cryptographic conference Crypto 2017.

Stellar (XLM) — the 8th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

The Stellar network was created in 2014 as a branch of the original Ripple system. Initially, the source code and work process was based on Ripple, but in 2015, its original open source protocol was introduced and successfully launched. At the same time, coins appeared that became known as stellars (at the Poloniex exchange, until now, the coin is called Stellar STR), and later — Lumens (XLM).

The main advantage of Stellar is the scalability of the platform and open source code. Indicative is that today the system can easily handle several thousand transactions per second, and confirmation of operations is carried out in no more than 5 seconds. An important advantage of Stellar is also the fact that thanks to SCP technology the platform allows to exchange cryptographic and fiat currencies, tokens and other assets that favorably contrasts it with the PoW protocol. In addition, today there is the possibility of using smart-contracts and multi-signature Stellar, which expands the functionality of the network.

IOTA (MIOTA) — the 9th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

Cryptocurrency, which based not on the blockchain, but on a new data structure called “Tangle”, which does not require blocks, chains and miners. According to the plan of developers, one of the main areas of application of this technology is the “Internet of things”.

In the future, IOTA will allow companies to introduce new b2b models, turning every technological resource into a potential service that will be sold on the open market in real time without any charges. Secure and authenticated communication channels between devices will be built through the Tangle.

In the future, any physical resources connected to the network could be rented in real time: not only equipment, but also computer processing power and storage capacity. Also, Tangle opens up new opportunities for secure data transfer at eGovernance, including electronic voting. Several companies are conducting research in this direction already.

TRON (TRX) — the 10th place in the rating of coinmarketcap.com

Decentralized open-source cryptocurrency, which was founded by the Chinese company TRON Foundation, registered in Singapore. It works as a unit of account in the TRON app on the blockchain, where content creators will be rewarded for its distribution. The ecosystem token is TRONIX.

The goal of the TRON decentralized protocol is to create a worldwide free entertainment network based on a distributed registry. TRON’s cryptocurrency algorithm allows each user to publish, store and get data freely.

TRON technology is a distributed storage that allows its users to access entertainment content from any part of the world without any help of intermediaries. In this case, content producers will be rewarded from the audience directly, depending on its popularity.

The TransCrypt road map is intended to support the majority of the best and most popular cryptocurrencies. It is important for us that our users could use as many coins as possible.