3. Bitcoin
• Considered the “grandfather” of cryptocoins
• Secured using proof-of-work concept: SHA-256d
• Can be hashed using just raw computing power leading to a hashingpower arms race
• Bitcoin is dominated by “ASIC” (Application-specific integrated circuit)
which can pump out huge amounts of hashing power at a low power cost
• Works by hashing the block header
• System will hash, altering a value called a “nonce”
• If the hashed value >= network difficulty, you get coins
• Largest and most popular cryptocoin, worth roughly $650 a coin right now
• Ten minute “confirm” time, so transactions will be confirmed in <= 40
mins.
• 21 Million coin cap
• Designed as deflationary
4. Litecoin
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Most popular “altcoin”
Similar to bitcoin, but with a few key differences
2.5 minute confirmation times
84 Million coin cap
Hashed using an algorithm called “Scrypt”
Uses raw processing power and system memory making
bitcoin ASIC’s useless
• Increases network stability as bitcoin powerminers cannot
switch over and abuse the smaller network
• Similar in function to SHA-256 but designed to be more
costly
• Worth ~$15 per coin
5. Namecoin
• Designed as a decentralized DNS, based on
bitcoin (SHA 256)
• Same coin cap of 21 Million as bitcoin, but intent
is not as a cryptocurrency
• Provides a pseudonym that can be used across
various websites, think connect with facebook
but based on a decentralized database
• Allows coin-holders to store data in the
blockchain by destroying some of their coins. This
allows Namecoin to have verified data within the
blockchain that can be accessed by anyone.
6. Peercoin
• Second largest altcoin
• Allows for standard SHA-256 mining, but additionally
has something called proof-of-stake
• PoS works by calculating how much time a user has
held their coins, and then trading that duration on the
blockchain for more coins
• This is designed to generate coins in a “green” method
• 0.01 PPC(Peercoin) cost per transaction that is
destroyed, while most cryptos mark it in the block
chain and allow it to be mined again
• The more people mining, the higher the difficulty and
the lower the block solving reward
7. Dogecoin
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Third largest altcoin, poised to take 2nd place
Based on popular “shibe” meme
Scrypt based cryptocoin
One minute block confirmation times
100 Billion initial coins to be “dug”, inflation of 5.2 Billion/year afterwards
Designed partly as a joke, grew rapidly
Cryptos like Bitcoin and Litecoin are “serious” and meant to replace fiat currency,
Doge is different
Strong community known as “Shibes” after the dog breed shown on the coin:
Shiba Inu
Intent and drive is to be fun, kind, and generous
Users often “tip” eachother dogecoins if a user does or says something that they
like
Charitable, raised $30k so Jamacian bobsled team could goto the winter olmypics
A little over two months old and already owns a large crypto market share
Tagline is “To the moon!” as the intent of the coin, as a jest, is to own a moon
house