Bitcoin Forum

This shall become a list of Bitcoin derived alternative cryptographic currencies that came up with technical innovation. Coins on the list must have been publicly launched. Claims must be verifiable at least by looking at the code. In order of appearance.


Namecoin (http://namecoin.info) - NMC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=6017)
Decentralized name/value storage to be used for DNS, TLS, IDs, Login, Filesig, etc.
Bitcoin merged mining (implemented 2011-06).

Devcoin (http://devcoin.org) - DVC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34586)
90% of generation goes to cryptocoin developers.

Ixcoin (http://ixcoin.org/) - IXC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=36218)
Small parameter changes.

SolidCoin - SC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=38453)
Faster blocks.

Tenebrix - TBX - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=45667) - dead
New hash algorithm (Scrypt).

Freicoin (http://www.freicoin.org/) - FRC -thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=89843)
Demurrage.

PPCoin (http://ppcoin.org) - PPC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=101820)
Proof of Stake (combined with POW)

Junkcoin - JKC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=194756.0)
Fancy reward amounts (Special starting rewards / Random rewards).

Florincoin (http://florincoin.org) - FLO - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=236742.0)
Transaction comments.

Primecoin (http://primecoin.org) - XPM - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=251850)
Hash algorithm looks for special chains of prime numbers.

Quark (http://quarkcoin.org) - QRK - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=260031.0)
Multiple hashing algorithms.

MemoryCoin (http://memorycoin.org) - MC? - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=267522.0)
Grant awards & grant voting system

HunterCoin (http://chronokings.com) - HUC - thread (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=330533)
Human Mine-able CryptoCurrency Game (Pretest for "Chronokings")


?
Floating difficulty retargeting.


Thanks to everybody helping compile the list (see below).

You are more than welcome to suggest changes/corrections or new entries (in proper format).

Bitcoin patches of interest
i2p support
coincontrol


Other software of interest
ripple

Sites / lists of interest
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=134179.0 List of all cryptocoins
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_alternative_cryptocurrencies
Late find, quite similar: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=212430 Altcoins and Scamcoins - Know the difference.
https://github.com/ppcoin/ppcoin/wiki/History-of-cryptocurrency (with time and authors)

Ixcoin isn't dead, I guess.
It's traded at Cryptsy and it's merge mined :)

Thanks. It's a zombie.  :D

http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/2013/08/25/list-of-innovative-cryptocurrencies/

Add MEC into that, zerocoin is on it's way.   ;)

Nibble

The first any only Coin with a very fair start!

Thanks for the post.

What is new in MEC?

Did not Digitalcoin have that first? https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=209508.0

MEC will implement zerocoin protocol, very soon, it's being worked on.
www.zerocoin.org

Looking forward to it, will sure add it once it is launched.

Add
Luckycoin - random blocks
Novacoin - scrypt/pos hybrid
Cosmoscoin - novacoin/florin hybrid. Zero transaction fees.
PHS - novacoin/florin/luckycoin hybrid. With 50% POS per annum.
YAC - Scrypt-jane . modified scrypt algo

Flogging my own horse here.

eMunie

Encrypted anon transactions
Encrypted messaging system built in
P2P Exchange
Automated supply model via demand signals (stability!!)
51% attack resistant
No specialist hardware required to "mine" (or hatch as its called in eMu world)
Interest payments on POS

Lots more fun stuff

It does not go to the foundation.  There is not a foundation even.  It goes out as share rewards to people that complete bounties.


Surprised this made the list for that.


The I2P support started as a patch for bitcoin.



There is also memorycoin, which has a vote/grant system.

There was Beer which was the first attempt  to fix the value of a blockchain currency to a commodity.



SC still processes transactions and is traded as well on mcxnow.

Junkcoin: 1st random block (though can be pre-calculated)
Luckycoin: improved random block computation by using previous block hash, so can not pre-calculated unless the previous block hash found. Also luckycoin added accelerated diff adjusting to limit instamine
Diamond: 1st Pow/Pos coin with random blocks.
and,
Infinitecoin: fast fair distribution of large amount of coins, a lot more fair and decentralized as compared to Ripple.

How is cosmocoin or PHS innovative? Stop throwing random things that coins have.
Junkcoin: okay.
Luckycoin: no. DMD: no. IFC:no.

The point is innovative features, not the first coin to combine features that others invented, or fair distribution of coins.

No, digitalcoin was launched after nibble...

Then how did ANC, DGC, Ixcoin make it to the list?

In 2007 Iphone was listed on the top 5 innovative product of the year. All apple did was combine all available tech in a single rectangle box.

First implementation into a coin. If MEC implements zerocoin first, and then "insertrandomname" imeplement zerocoin with addition of "insertalreadyimplementedfeature", it's innovative?
Wth does an Iphone have to do with crypto?

Theres technical innovation, then execution innovation.   Iphone falls into the latter IMO.

Is it very useful?
It would be nice if we have 5 - 10 coins, very different, with fixed prices, and not that crap

Do you know what does "innovation" mean??

DGC is a copycat coin without innovation. There is only 1 or 2 lines added and you call that innovation??

Some coins like megacoin are much more innovative but they make less noise..

Quark (QRK) deserves a spot on here. Multiple different hashing algos makes it stand out from a lot of others and this also makes it quite secure to mine. Definitely innovative.

I don't see a lot of innovation in these:

Luckycoin - fancy block rewards
Novacoin - previous stuff hybrid
Cosmoscoin - previous stuff hybrid, small parameter change
PHS - previous stuff hybrid, small parameter change
YAC - This was a little more innovative because it was the first coin to experiment with high memory requirements. Still only parameter changes?


Interesting but "NOT a fork of the BitCoin code" (seriously?). So it can not go on this list.

Also coins on the list must have been publicly launched. Code should be public so claims can be verified. Will add these additional requirements to the OP.


Yeah, I was undecided... but IMHO it paved the way for what came later.

removed: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=227287.msg2424903#msg2424903

Check.

Can't find anything on it. Wonder how that was supposed to work :)

Another one.

What is new about Junkcoin? Random rewards is trivial IMHO.

exactly

Hmm ok, but you said innovative alt's, not innovative alt's based on BitCoin code...

And yes seriously, there isn't a single line of "BitCoin code" in there anywhere, total clean wipe with our own methods and algorithms.

Just removed ANC (there was a patch first) and DGC (seems like Nibble was earlier but also Junkcoin had technically similar features).

I have not tried it but the way I imagine it it would be useful and innovative.

Multiple hashing algorithms

Was QRK the first?

Ahh and the waiting game for truly innovative thinkers has started. Wait and watch the magic happen, the truly innovative thinkers will shine. Not to mention any names. Cough...cough...Emunie.

I pretty sure that it was. Check out the QRK topic.

I don't know if your coin will be a success.
We live in an idiocracy and marketing, advertising tactics,  buzz  are much more important than innovation.

LOL I guess so.

I haven't started on any of the "important" point you outline above yet, maybe I should get a move on :)

I think I heard of RU having it first.

Wtf is ru?

this does not sound like it:

"RuCoin project is not intended that any develop and improve, and vice versa, is the most conservative position in order to maintain and use all that has been proven in Bitcoin."   https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=48582.msg577990#msg577990

I think it was the multicoin client that paved the way for ixcoin. I need to find some time to dig
up the threads later to confirm the timeline.



Not sure it did work, but that was the idea of it.

It was part of the multicoin coins, along with weeds.   


No, it does not sound like it from that.  Later though they added dual hashes from what I read, to try and become more 51% resistant.   Will try and see if I can find the info again later when I have more time.   

interesting thread. will definitely watch it

Updated with Huntercoin - a blockchain based game   https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=330533.0