Evolution of Top-10 Coins in CoinMarketCap’s History (2013-2023)

Dash Blockchain Halted After Failed Hard Fork

Web3, Privacy Coins Will Be 2023 Crypto Criminal Targets: Kaspersky

Edge Disables 'Confidential Mastercard' After Pushback from Credit Card Giant

Exclusive: Mastercard 'Has Not Approved' Edge's 'Confidential' Mastercard

## Dash (DASH) (ڈیش) کیا ہے؟

ڈیش ایک اوپن سورس [بلاک چین](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/blockchain) اور، ایک ایسی [کرپٹو کرنسی](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-are-cryptocurrencies) ہے، جس کی توجہ عالمی ادائیگیوں کا ایک تیز رفتار اور سستا نیٹ-ورک، جو اپنی سرشت میں غیر مرکزی بھی ہو، پیش کرنے پر مرکوز ہے۔ پراجیکٹ کے اپنے [وائٹ پیپر](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/whitepaper) کے مطابق، ڈیش مضبوط رازداری اور تیز تر لین-دین فراہم کرکے [Bitcoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/bitcoin) (BTC) سے بہترکار کردگی کا مُظاہرہ کرنے کے لیے [کوشاں ہے](https://github.com/dashpay/dash/wiki/Whitepaper)۔

ڈیش، جس کا نام "ڈیجیٹل کیش" سے ماخوذ ہے، بحیثیت [لائٹ-کوائن](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/litecoin/) (LTC) فورک، جنوری سن 2014 میں لانچ کیا گیا۔ لائیو ہونے کے بعد سے ڈیش نے کُچھ خصوصیات کو اپنے اندر سمو لیا ہے، مثلاً 2-ٹیئر (2-tier) نیٹ-ورک کے ساتھ ترغیب شُدہ نوڈز بمع ’’ماسٹر نوڈز‘‘ اور پراجیکٹ کی غیر مرکزی حاکمیت؛ ٰInstantSend، جو فوری تصفیہ شُدہ ادائیگی کی اجازت دیتا ہے؛ ChainLocks, جو ڈیش بلاک چین کو فوری طور پر ناقابل تغیُّر بناتا ہے؛ اور PrivateSend، جو لین-دین میں اختیاری طور پر اضافی رازداری پیش کرتا ہے۔

### ڈیش کے بانی کون ہیں؟

ڈیش کی بُنیاد دو سوفٹ-ویئر ڈویلپرز Evan Duffield اور Kyle Hagan نے رکھی۔ اس پراجیکٹ کو دراصل XCoin کہا جاتا تھا، دو ہفتے بعد یہ بدل کر Darkcoin کر دیا گیا، اور مارچ سن 2015 میں ایک مثبت امیج بنانے کی کوشش میں [ری-برانڈنگ](https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/official-statement-on-rebranding-to-dash.4297/) سے پہلے اسے دوبارہ ڈیش کر دیا گیا۔

ڈیش شروع کرنے سے پہلے Duffield اپنے اُس عرصے کی بِنا پر جو اُنہوں نے Hawk Financial Group میں کام کے دوران گُذارا، مالیاتی تجربے کے حامل ایک سوفٹ-ویئر ڈویلپر تھے۔ اس کے ساتھ ساتھ اُنہوں نے تعلقات عامہ میں خدمات انجام دیں، مشین لرننگ الگورتھم ڈویلپ کیے اور سرچ انجن بھی تیار کیے۔ اُنہوں نے سب سے پہلے سن 2012 میں ڈیش [کا تصوّر](https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/the-birth-of-darkcoin.162/) Bitcoin میں اضافی گُمنامی کے ایک طریق کار کے طور پر کیا تھا — اسی لیے، اصلیت میں اسے Darkcoin بھی کہا جاتا ہے۔ Duffield نے [دعویٰ کیا](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q0MiDNe6Wc) کہ اُنہوں نے اسے ایک مشغلے کے طور پر شروع کیا تھا، جس کی کوڈنگ اُنہوں نے ایک ہی ویک-اینڈ میں مُکمل کر دی۔ Duffield نے Dash Core Group میں بحیثیت CEO خدمات سر انجام دیں — وہ کمپنی جو ڈیش کی ڈویلپمنٹ، انضمام اور دیگر سرگرمیاں جاری رہنے کی حمایت کرتی ہے — تا وقتیکہ کہ وہ دسمبر سن 2017 میں دیگر سٹراٹیجک سرگرمیوں پر توجہ مرکوز کرنے کے لیے دستبردار نہیں ہو گئے۔

Hagan نے اصل وائٹ پیپر Duffield کے ساتھ مشترکہ طور پر تحریر کیا۔ تاہم، اُنہوں نے یہ پراجیکٹ دسمبر سن 2017 کی ابتداء میں [چھوڑ دیا](https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/kyle-hagan-is-no-longer-part-of-the-development-team.3225/)۔

### ڈیش کو کیا چیز منفرد بناتی ہے؟

اس کی ویب-سائٹ کے مُطابق، ڈیش کا [مقصد](https://docs.dash.org/en/stable/introduction/about.html) "دُنیا بھر میں سب سے زیادہ صارف دوست وسعت پذیر، ادائیگیوں پر مُرتکز کرپٹو کرنسی بن جانا‘‘ ہے۔ اس کی تکمیل کے لیے، یہ پراجیکٹ ماسٹر نوڈز کے ایک نیٹ-ورک پر انحصار کرتا ہے، جنہیں ڈیش کے پروپوزل سسٹم پر ضمانت شدہ ایڈوانس سرورز کے طور پر بحفاظت ایڈوانس خدمات اور حاکمیت فراہم کرنے کے لیے ڈیزائن کیا گیا ہے۔ بلاک انعامات کے کچھ حصے کے بدلے، ماسٹر نوڈز نیٹ-ورک کو خدمات کی دوسری پرت فراہم کرتے ہیں۔ وہ یہ فنکشنز مثلاً InstantSend, PrivateSend اور ChainLocks فراہم کرتے ہیں۔

ڈیش، انفرادی صارفین اوراداروں، یعنی دونوں کے لیے مارکیٹ کیا جاتا ہے، جن میں تاجر، مالیاتی خدمات اور وہ لوگ شامل ہیں جنہیں بین الاقوامی ترسیلات بھیجنے کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے۔ اکتوبر سن 2020 میں، Dash Core Group نے [اطلاع دی](https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/dash-core-group-q3-quarterly-call-29-10-2020.50832/) کہ اس کے آگے بڑھتے ہوئے سٹراٹیجک مقاصد میں اس کے اپنے ایکوسسٹم اور برانڈ کی تعمیر شامل ہے، نیز اس بات کی یقین دہانی بھی کہ صارفین مُطمئن ہیں، اور نیٹ-ورک کے پیچھے موجود ٹیکنولوجی کو مزید آگے بڑھا رہے ہیں۔

ڈیش کا حاکمیتی نظام، یا خزانہ، پراجیکٹ کی ڈویلپمنٹ کے لیے مُسابقتی اور غیر مرکزی طرز عمل کے تحت بلاک کے انعامات کا 10% تقسیم کرتا ہے۔ اس نے بشمول Dash Core Group، کئی سرمایہ گذاری شدہ تنظیمیں تخلیق کرنے کی اجازت دی ہے۔ اس کے علاوہ Dash Foundation، جو کہ کرپٹو کرنسی اپنانے کی وکالت کرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ عطیات وصول کرتی ہے، تیز ادائیگی کی قابلیت رکھنے والی انفرادی اور ادارہ جاتی رکنیت کی پیشکش کرتی ہے۔

#### متعلقہ صفحات:

[لائٹ-کوائن](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/litecoin/) کے بارے میں مزید جانیے، یعنی وہ کرپٹو کرنسی جس سے ڈیش کو فورک کیا گیا۔

[XRP](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/xrp/) کے بارے میں جانیے، ایک اور کرپٹو کرنسی جو تقریباً فوری ادائیگیوں کا نیٹ-ورک پیش کرتی ہے۔

کیا آپ اپنے ڈیش محفوظ رکھنے کے حوالے سے تجاویز کے بارے میں جاننا چاہتے ہیں؟ CoinMarketCap کے آن-لائن تعلیمی وسیلے الیگزینڈریا پر موجود [کرپٹو سیفٹی گائیڈ](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/how-to-keep-your-crypto-safe) کا تفصیلی مطالعہ کیجیے۔

[CoinMarketCap بلاگ](https://blog.coinmarketcap.com/) کے ذریعے کرپٹو کرنسی کے بارے میں تازہ ترین واقعات سے باخبر رہیے۔

### فی الوقت کُل کتنے ڈیش (DASH) کوائنز گردش میں ہیں؟

ڈیش ٹوکنز کی زیادہ سے زیادہ قابل ِاجراء تعداد 18,921,005 ہے۔ تاہم، اس رقم کا انحصار باالآخر اس بات پر ہے کہ گورننس، بجٹ تجاویز کے لیے وقف بلاک انعامات کے 10% کو کس طرح مُختص کرنے کا فیصلہ کرتی ہے۔ اگر کبھی کُچھ بھی مُختص نہین کیا گیا، تو صرف 17,742,696 DASH کا اخراج کیا جائے گا۔ نئے ’ڈیش ٹوکنز بذریعہ ایک [پروف-آف-ورک](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/proof-of-work-vs-proof-of-stake) مائننگ الگورتھم [تخلیق کیے جاتے ہیں](https://docs.dash.org/en/stable/introduction/features.html#emission-rate)، جس میں ٹوکن کے اخراج کی شرح، ہر 210,240 بلاکس پر چودھویں حصّے تک یا تقریباً 7% گھٹا دی جاتی ہے، یا اسی شرح کو مُتبادل طور پر لگ بھگ 383 دن میں کم کیا جاتا ہے۔

نئے DASH کا تقریباً 45% مائنرز کو بطور انعام دیا جاتا ہے، جبکہ 45% ماسٹر نوڈز کو، اور 10% مستقبل کی تجاویز کو فنڈ مُہیّا کرنے کے لیے۔ اگست سن 2020 میں، ایک تجویز[منظور کی گئی](https://www.dashcentral.org/p/decision-proposal-block-reward-reallocat)، جو ایک بار عمل پذیر ہونے کے بعد، مائنرز اور ماسٹر نوڈس کے مابین بطور انعام تقسیم کیے جانے والے کوائنز کے تناسب کو بالترتیب 50/50 سے 40/60 کر دے گی۔

ڈیش کی لانچنگ کے بعد 48 گھنٹے کے اندر اندر، تقریباً 2 ملین کوائنز مائن کیے گئے، جو منصوبہ کے تحت اخراج کیے جانے والے شیڈول سے نُمایاں طور پر زیادہ تھے۔ در اصل، ڈیش کو لائٹ-کوائن سے فورک کیا گیا تھا، جسے اپنے آغاز کے موقع پر مشکلات سے نمٹنے والے الگورتھم میں ایک بَگ (bug) کے سبب ویسی ہی خرابی سے نقصان اُٹھانا پڑا۔ اگرچہ دستاویزات سے یہ بات اچھی طرح عیاں ہوتی ہے کہ یہ بَگ (bug) ڈیش کو لائٹ-کوائن سے وراثت میں ملا تھا، تاہم، اس بارے میں یہ قیاس آرائیاں ضرور جاری ہیں کہ آیا فاسٹ-مائن ابتدائی مائنرز کو فائدہ پہنچانے کے لیے دانستہ کیا گیا تھا یا یہ ایک نا دانستہ عمل تھا۔

### ڈیش نیٹ-ورک کو کس طرح محفوظ بنایا جاتا ہے؟

ڈیش اپنے لین-دین کو تحفظ دینے کے لیے دو درجات والا نیٹ-ورک استعمال کرتا ہے۔ پہلا ٹیئر اُن نوڈز پر مشتمل ہوتا ہے جو پروف-آف-ورک [مفاہمتی](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/consensus) پروٹوکول سے متعلق مائننگ کی عملیات انجام دیتے ہیں، جس کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ وہ پیچیدہ کرپٹوگرافک مسائل کو حل کرنے کے لیے مُسابقت کرتے ہیں، چُناچہ ان میں سے کم از کم 51% نوڈز کی جانب سے لین-دین کی منظوری کا دیا جانا ضروری ہے تاکہ یہ بلاک چین میں شامل ہو سکے۔

وہ PoW الگورتھم جسے ڈیش استعمال کرتا ہے "X11" کہلاتا ہے — ضرورت کے عین مُطابق بنایا گیا ہیشنگ الگورتھم، جسے ڈیش کے بانی Duffield نے تیار کیا، اور جو 11 ہیشنگ الگورتھمز کی ایک ترتیب استعمال کرتا ہے۔ ڈیش کی دستاویزات کے مُطابق، X11 جدید کرپٹو کرنسیز کے زیر استعمال ہیشز میں محفوظ ترین اور بہت ہی نفیس کرپٹوگرافک ہیش ہے۔

دوُسرا درجہ اُن ماسٹر نوڈز پر مشتمل ہے جو پروف-آف-سروس مفاہمتی الگورتھم کے تحت کام کرتا ہے، جس میں ماسٹر نوڈز کی درجہ بندی نیٹ-ورک کو مُہیّا کی گئی اُنکی اچھی خدمات پر مبنی تاریخ کے حوالے سے کی جاتی ہے۔ ماسٹر-نوڈز نیٹ-ورک کی نگرانی کرتے ہیں، نیز نوڈز کی جانب سے شامل کردہ ایسے نئے بلاکس کو رَد کرنے کا اختیار رکھتے ہیں، جن کی منظوری غیر تسلی بخش طریقے سے کی گئی ہو۔ وہ ڈیش کی ChainLocks (چین-لاکس) خصوصیت کو بھی فعال کرتے ہیں، جس سے تحفظ میں اضافہ ہوتا ہے کیونکہ ہر 12 گھنٹے بعد، ماسٹر نوڈس کا ایک دورہ-گرد گروپ بلاک چین میں شامل کردہ تمام نئے بلاکس کا مشاہدہ اور تصدیق کرتا ہے۔ ڈیش کے ڈویلپرز نے [بیان کیا](https://blog.dash.org/mitigating-51-attacks-with-llmq-based-chainlocks-7266aa648ec9) ہے کہ یہ نیٹ-ورک کو [51% حملوں](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/51-attack) سے محفوظ رکھتا ہے۔

### آپ ڈیش (DASH) کہاں سے خرید سکتے ہیں؟

معروف آلٹ-کوائنز میں سے ایک کے طور پر، ڈیش کو زیادہ تر بڑے کرپٹو کرنسی ایکسچینجز پر خریدا جا سکتا ہے، جن میں [Binance](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/binance/) اور [Coinbase Pro](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/coinbase-pro/) نیز [Huobi Global](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/huobi-global/)، [Kraken](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/kraken/) اور [OKEx](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/okex/) شامل ہیں۔ اس کی تجارت فیاٹ کرنسیوں، کرپٹو کرنسیوں، مثلاً 1Bitcoin1 اور 2Ether2 (ETH), نیز اسٹیبل کوائنز مثلاً 4Tether4 (USDT) اور 5USD Coin5 (USDC)، وغیرہ کے مُقابل کی جا سکتی ہے۔ اسے اسپاٹ اور ڈیریویٹوز دونوں بازاروں میں خریدا اور بیچا جا سکتا ہے۔

کیا آپ ڈیش یا دیگر کرپٹو کرنسیز، مثلاً [Bitcoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/bitcoin) کی خریداری میں دلچسپی رکھتے ہیں؟ آپ کو کرپٹو کے بارے میں مُکمّل معلومات فراہم کرنے، اور اپنا پہلا کوائن خریدنے کے حوالے سے سب کُچھ سِکھانے کے لیے CoinMarketCap کے پاس ایک سادہ [مرحلہ وار گائیڈ](https://coinmarketcap.com/how-to-buy-bitcoin/) موجود ہے۔

Dash

Ledger

Trezor

Trust Wallet

Math Wallet

Exodus

Dash Core

Coinbase

Atomic wallet

Zcash is a decentralized cryptocurrency focused on privacy and anonymity. It uses the zk-SNARK zero-knowledge proof technology that allows nodes on the network to verify transactions without revealing any sensitive information about those transactions.

Contrary to a common misunderstanding, the majority of cryptocurrencies on the market, including Bitcoin (BTC), are not anonymous, but rather pseudonymous; while they do not explicitly reveal the identities of their users, each user has their own public address or addresses which can be traced back to them via the methods of data science and blockchain forensics.

Zcash transactions, on the other hand, still have to be relayed via a public blockchain, but unlike pseudonymous cryptocurrencies, ZEC transactions by default do not reveal the sending and receiving addresses or the amount being sent. There is an option, however, to reveal this data for the purposes of auditing or regulatory compliance.

Zcash was first released on October 28, 2016, and it was originally based on Bitcoin’s codebase.

Zcash

The EOS Network is an open-source blockchain platform that prioritizes high performance, flexibility, security, and developer experience. As a third-generation blockchain platform powered by the EOS virtual machine, EOS has an extensible WebAssembly engine for deterministic execution of near fee-less transactions.

EOS is the market's most scalable, divisible, and programmable digital currency. EOS is a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) network where stakeholders have the authority to select node operators. Due to the decentralized nature of the token distribution on EOS, power doesn't reside in the hands of block miners, but rather all parties involved in the EOS Network.

The EOS Network is attractive because of its technology and community. It allows developers to build projects that other blockchains cannot support. The network is straightforward and has multiple tools and educational resources to help users acclimate to the blockchain.

Litecoin (LTC) is a cryptocurrency that was designed to provide fast, secure and low-cost payments by leveraging the unique properties of blockchain technology.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Litecoin.

The cryptocurrency was created based on the Bitcoin (BTC) protocol, but it differs in terms of the hashing algorithm used, hard cap, block transaction times and a few other factors. Litecoin has a block time of just 2.5 minutes and extremely low transaction fees, making it suitable for micro-transactions and point-of-sale payments.

Litecoin was released via an open-source client on GitHub on Oct. 7, 2011, and the Litecoin Network went live five days later on Oct. 13, 2011. Since then, it has exploded in both usage and acceptance among merchants and has counted among the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization for most of its existence.

The cryptocurrency was created by Charlie Lee, a former Google employee, who intended Litecoin to be a "lite version of Bitcoin," in that it features many of the same properties as Bitcoin—albeit lighter in weight.

Litecoin

Monero was launched in 2014, and its goal is simple: to allow transactions to take place privately and with anonymity. Even though it’s commonly thought that BTC can conceal a person’s identity, it’s often easy to trace payments back to their original source because blockchains are transparent. On the other hand, XMR is designed to obscure senders and recipients alike through the use of advanced cryptography.

The team behind Monero say privacy and security are their biggest priorities, with ease of use and efficiency coming second. It aims to provide protection to all users — irrespective of how technologically competent they are.

Overall, XMR aims to allow payments to be made quickly and inexpensively without fear of censorship.

Monero

Ethereum Classic (ETC) is the original Ethereum (ETH) blockchain that launched in July 2015. Its main function is as a smart contract network, with the ability to host and support decentralized applications (DApps). Its native token is ETC.

Since its launch, Ethereum Classic has sought to differentiate itself from Ethereum, with the two networks’ technical roadmap diverging further and further from each other with time.

Ethereum Classic first set out to preserve the integrity of the existing Ethereum blockchain after a major hacking event led to the theft of 3.6 million ETH.

Ethereum Classic

Tezos is a high-performing blockchain and open-source platform for assets and applications, with a strong focus on code security, on-chain governance, and decentralization. Tezos 2.0, the upcoming step in the evolution of Tezos, aims to improve scalability (via layer 2s), composability, and to implement support to mainstream programming languages (like Javascript, Typescript, Python, and many others).

Initially built with formal verification in mind, the Tezos protocol enables builders to avoid bugs when developing smart contracts, making it particularly suited to applications that require a high degree of security and certainty.

Tezos’ LPoS (Liquid Proof-of-Stake) consensus mechanism enables any stakeholder to take part, directly or by delegation, in the consensus process, and to be rewarded for securing the network. Rather uniquely, Tezos’ on-chain governance system also enables stakeholders to create and vote on protocol upgrade proposals. This pioneering system allows the protocol to self-amend and upgrade itself without leading to a split (or fork) in the blockchain, empowering the community without slowing down innovation.

First proposed in 2014 and launched in 2018, the Tezos Mainnet has a proven track record of running uninterrupted ever since, having earned a strong reputation for technical excellence and a supportive community.

Tezos

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that aims to become sound global money with fast payments, micro fees, privacy and larger block size. As a permissionless, decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin Cash requires no trusted third parties.

Bitcoin Cash was created as an alternative to the first and most valuable cryptocurrency — Bitcoin (BTC). In 2017, BCH developers modified the BTC code, releasing their software version and a full-fledged competitive product, which split Bitcoin into two blockchains: Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Bitcoin Cash is a result of a hard fork in the blockchain due to differences in the community over Bitcoin scaling and the SegWit upgrade. Moreover, another hard fork, which divided Bitcoin Cash into two parts, Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV, took place in the fall of 2018.

The scaling debate involved two sides: small block supporters opposed increasing block size as it could lead to blockchain centralization and vulnerability by making it harder to host full nodes. Large block supporters, however, advocated for a faster solution, concerned that rising transaction fees could hinder growth.

Bitcoin Cash

Compound is a DeFi lending protocol that allows users to earn interest on their cryptocurrencies by depositing them into one of several pools supported by the platform.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Compound.

When a user deposits tokens to a Compound pool, they receive cTokens in return. These cTokens represent the individual’s stake in the pool and can be used to redeem the underlying cryptocurrency initially deposited into the pool at any time. For example, by depositing ETH into a pool, you will receive cETH in return. Over time, the exchange rate of these cTokens to the underlying asset increases, which means you can redeem them for more of the underlying asset than you initially put in — this is how the interest is distributed.

On the flip side, borrowers can take a secured loan from any Compound pool by depositing collateral. The maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio varies based on the collateral asset, but currently ranges from 50 to 75%. The interest rate paid varies by borrowed asset and borrowers can face automatic liquidation if their collateral falls below a specific maintenance threshold.

Since the launch of the Compound mainnet in September 2018, the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, and recently passed more than $800 million in total locked value.

Compound

Qtum (pronounced ‘“quantum”)  is a proof-of-stake (PoS) smart contract open-source blockchain platform and value transfer protocol. It aims to bring together the strengths of Bitcoinand Ethereumin one chain. Qtum is built on Bitcoin's UTXO transaction model, with the added functionality of smart contract execution and DApps. Recently, the platform added support for DeFi applications. As of March 2021, there are more than 20 tokens created on the Qtum blockchain.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Qtum.

The project was announced in March 2016 and held an ICO a year after, in March 2017, which brought its founders $15 million USD. The Qtum main chain was released on Sept.13, 2017. Initially, the Qtum coin was issued as a ETH-20 token, but with the launch of the mainnet, it was converted to native blockchain.

Qtum

NEM is a blockchain platform that was launched in March of 2015. It was one of the pioneers of the cryptocurrency industry, and sought to improve on the imperfections found on other chains at the time. It was one of the first non-turing complete chains to feature user-defined tokens (called mosaics), namespaces, multisignature accounts, and a P2P reputation system based on EigenTrust++. Its most notable contribution to the space is the proof-of-importance consensus mechanism, which sought to reward on-chain activity and deter the concentration of wealth commonly associated with proof-of-stake. Its client, NIS, is written in Java.

NEM has a global community. It sees the most utility as an alternative form of payment for businesses and vendors, and has a variety of social media apps built on top of it in Japan, such as nemgraph, a community-driven owned and operated alternative to Instagram.

In December 2021, NEM was hard forked by a pseudonymous team of cryptocurrency experts and enthusiasts alike. Titled Harlock, this hard fork signaled the community’s intent to take NEM from a shadow of its former self into the world’s leading payments platform for on-chain and off-chain media content.

IOTA is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that features unique architecture and an open-source product suite for individuals, businesses, and institutions to use in Web3. It is built on a directed acyclic graph (DAG) called the Tangle, which can be pictured as a multi-dimensional blockchain. It enables the exchange of data and value on a decentralized platform through direct and secure transfers, executed on and immutably recorded on the network.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive into IOTA.

Together with its staging network Shimmer, IOTA aims to offer solutions to establish a secure and permissionless infrastructure that can drive the economy of the future. It enables the development of decentralized applications through automated trust in the form of Ethereum-compatible smart contracts, an advanced consensus algorithm, and thoughtfully balanced incentives.

IOTA delivers tools for creating and managing custom Layer 2 (EVM) chains, deploying smart contracts, minting native tokens and NFTs with distinctive features, and introducing digital identities to users.

Launching in 2024, IOTA 2.0 will be a protocol upgrade that rebuilds IOTA’s architecture to deliver full decentralization. You can find more about it here.

IOTA

Stellar (XLM) is a peer-to-peer (P2P) decentralized network created in 2014 by The Stellar Development Foundation or Stellar.org. The network officially launched in 2015 with the purpose of connecting the world's financial systems and ensuring a protocol for payment providers and financial institutions. The platform is designed to move financial resources swiftly and reliably at minimal cost. Stellar links people, banks, payment processors and allows users to create, send and trade multiple types of crypto.

The basis of the network is its native digital currency - XLM or Lumens. XLM acts as an intermediate currency for operations and is also used to pay transaction fees. How it works: the protocol converts money in a few seconds, first into XLM, and then into the requested currency.

The Stellar payment protocol is based on distributed ledger technology -- an open-source development, community-owned and distributed by community. The crypto asset of the Stellar platform helps with cross-border transactions, overcoming the problems of high fees and slow procedures. XLM is more focused on assisting individuals transfer money than they are with institutions. Thus, Stellar offers access to financial systems, and people can send money at low cost and promptly around the world.

Moreover, Stellar serves as a decentralized exchange and marketplace, with a built-in order book that tracks ownership of Stellar assets. Platform users can manage buy/sell orders, as well as select and set their preferred assets in settlements. XLM is a built-in coin that helps reduce transaction fees.

The network maintains a high level of security.  XLM holders must have at least one token in order to remain active on the network. This nuance performs a global goal - the execution of network transactions efficiently and with minimal time costs. Plus, Lumens offers protection against flood attacks by making microtransactions too expensive for hackers with no chance of profit, which keeps Stellar Network safe from serious threats.

The target audience of Stellar is the inhabitants of developing countries, ordinary users who are provided access to the global economy through fast, simple and inexpensive transactions. Stellar Network makes extensive use of Lumens to produce live convection as well as to send cash in multiple currencies; currency is sent from one peer, and the recipient can receive the amount in another currency. This feature is beneficial when a transaction is made between currencies without widely traded pairs.

Support for multi-currency transactions is another competitive advantage of Stellar, and the ability for cross-currency transactions has only enhanced processes with foreign operations. Moreover, stable speed and low transaction costs are a privilege that users receive.

This functionality is powered by a development called Anchors (a bridge between different currencies and the network), which simplifies the exchange within the network and helps speed up the whole process.

In summary, the benefits of Stellar (XLM) include:

Stellar

TRON (TRX) is a decentralized blockchain-based operating system developed by the Tron Foundation and launched in 2017. Originally TRX tokens were ERC-20-based tokens deployed on Ethereum, but a year later they were moved to their own network.

Initially, the project was created with the aim of providing full ownership rights to makers of digital content. The main goal is to help content creators (who receive only a small part of the income) and encourage them with more rewards for their work. How: invite content consumers to reward content makers directly (without intermediaries like YouTube, Facebook or Apple).

The TRON software supports smart contracts, various kinds of blockchain systems, and decentralized applications aka dApps. The cryptocurrency platform uses a transaction model similar to Bitcoin (BTC), namely UTXO. Transactions take place in a public ledger, where users can track the history of operations.

Therefore, the platform was built to create a decentralized Internet and serves as a tool for developers to create dApps, acting as an alternative to Ethereum. Anyone can create dApps on the TRON network, offer content, and in return receive digital assets as compensation for their efforts. The ability to create content and share it openly without hesitation regarding transaction fees is an undeniable advantage of TRON.

TRON

Waves is a multi-purpose blockchain platform which supports various use cases including decentralized applications (DApps) and smart contracts.

Launched in June 2016 following one of the cryptocurrency industry’s earliest initial coin offerings (ICO), Waves initially set out to improve on the first blockchain platforms by increasing speed, utility and user-friendliness.

The platform has undergone various changes and added new spin-off features to build on its original design.

Waves’ native token is WAVES, an uncapped supply token used for standard payments such as block rewards.

Waves

The 1inch Network unites decentralized protocols whose synergy enables the most lucrative, fastest, and protected operations in the DeFi space.

The 1inch Network's first protocol is a decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator solution that searches deals across multiple liquidity sources, offering users better rates than any individual exchange. The 1inch Aggregation Protocol incorporates the Pathfinder algorithm for finding the best paths across over 400+ liquidity sources on 12 chains: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, Optimism, Arbitrum, Fantom, Gnosis Chain, Klaytn, Aurora, zkSync and Base.

In just over two years the 1inch DEX aggregator has reached 1M users and surpassed $150B in overall volume on the Ethereum network alone.

The 1inch Limit Order Protocol facilitates the most innovative and flexible limit order swap opportunities in DeFi. The protocol’s features, such as dynamic pricing, conditional orders, and extra RFQ support, power various implementations, including stop-loss and trailing stop orders, as well as auctions.

The 1inch Wallet is a multichain mobile platform that provides an easy-to-navigate interface with secure storing, transaction, and staking capabilities. This versatile wallet was built from the ground up to streamline interacting with 1inch’s features.

The 1INCH token is the governance and utility token of the 1inch Network. 1INCH holders can stake their tokens to participate in the 1inch Network's DAO governance, including the 1inch DAO Treasury management. Also, holders can choose resolvers and earn a part of their fees.

With the 1inch Fusion, users can stake 1INCH tokens to receive Unicorn Power (UP), then subsequently delegate their UP to any 1inch Fusion Resolver to start receiving rewards from them. When staking, there is the option to set a custom or preset lock period. User’s st1INCH tokens cannot be unstaked/withdrawn without penalty until the designated lock period expires.

In December 2020, 1inch raised $12 million in Series A funding, led by Pantera Capital, with others including ParaFi Capital, Blockchain Capital, Nima Capital, and Spartan Group. The funding round was conducted through a SAFT (simple agreement for future tokens) sale.

In December 2021, 1inch has closed a $175 million Series B round, led by Amber Group. Among about 50 investors that participated in the funding event are Jane Street, VanEck, Fenbushi Capital, Alameda Research, Celsius, Nexo, Tribe Capital and Gemini Frontier Fund.

1inch Network

Basic Attention Token, or BAT, is the token that powers a new blockchain-based digital advertising platform designed to fairly reward users for their attention, while providing advertisers with a better return on their ad spend.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Basic Attention Token.

This experience is delivered through the Brave Browser, where users can watch privacy-preserving adverts and receive BAT rewards for doing so. On the other hand, advertisers can deliver targeted ads to maximize engagement and cut down losses due to ad fraud and abuse.

The Basic Attention Token itself is the unit of reward in this advertising ecosystem, and is exchanged between advertisers, publishers and users. Advertisers pay for their advertising campaigns in BAT tokens. Out of this budget, a small portion is distributed to advertisers, while 70% is distributed to users — whereas the intermediaries that typically drive up advertising costs are cut out of the equation to improve cost-efficiency.

Basic Attention Token launched in 2017 following one of the fastest sell-out initial coin offerings (ICOs) of all time, with the platform raising a total of $35 million in under a minute. Since then, it has rolled out its attention-based advertising experience to users in most countries through its Brave Rewards program.

As of November 2020, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada had the most active advertising campaigns.

Basic Attention Token

In a nutshell, Cosmos bills itself as a project that solves some of the “hardest problems” facing the blockchain industry. It aims to offer an antidote to “slow, expensive, unscalable and environmentally harmful” proof-of-work protocols, like those used by Bitcoin, by offering an ecosystem of connected blockchains.

The project’s other goals include making blockchain technology less complex and difficult for developers thanks to a modular framework that demystifies decentralized apps. Last but not least, an Interblockchain Communication protocol makes it easier for blockchain networks to communicate with each other — preventing fragmentation in the industry.

Cosmos’ origins can be dated back to 2014, when Tendermint, a core contributor to the network, was founded. In 2016, a white paper for Cosmos was published — and a token sale was held the following year. ATOM tokens are earned through a hybrid proof-of-stake algorithm, and they help to keep the Cosmos Hub, the project’s flagship blockchain, secure. This cryptocurrency also has a role in the network’s governance.

Cosmos

Uniswap is a popular decentralized trading protocol, known for its role in facilitating automated trading of decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens.

An example of an automated market maker (AMM), Uniswap launched in November 2018, but has gained considerable popularity this year thanks to the DeFi phenomenon and associated surge in token trading.

Uniswap aims to keep token trading automated and completely open to anyone who holds tokens, while improving the efficiency of trading versus that on traditional exchanges.

Uniswap creates more efficiency by solving liquidity issues with automated solutions, avoiding the problems which plagued the first decentralized exchanges.

In September 2020, Uniswap went a step further by creating and awarding its own governance token, UNI, to past users of the protocol. This added both profitability potential and the ability for users to shape its future — an attractive aspect of decentralized entities.