I thought it might be a good idea to make a list of short, one-sentence descriptions/summaries of the top altcoins and assets on CoinMarketCap. This idea isn't new, but most of the existing lists out there are old and outdated. Of course, it's possible to search the name of each coin/asset on Google and go through the links one by one or read through their [ANN] threads but this can be a rather tedious process. So I think this would save people some time.
Since the list is always changing, I'll try to update it every few days/weeks.
The coins/assets in red are ones that I don't know much about, so they currently lack a description. I might add their description later on. Or feel free to suggest a short, one-sentence description and I'll add it to the list. If there are any mistakes or I've left something important out, then feel free to point it out as well.
Bitcoin: The original cryptocurrency
Ethereum: Decentralized application platform for running 'smart contracts'
Ripple: Distributed peer-to-peer payment network and currency exchange
Litecoin: First successful scrypt coin
Dash: Anonymous coin with decentralized mixing and instant transactions (via masternodes) and decentralized governance
Monero: Bytecoin fork (CryptoNote-based anonymity) with fair distribution
Ethereum Classic: Fork of Ethereum where the hacked TheDAO funds were not returned to investors
NEM: NXT-inspired coin with modified PoS system ("proof-of-importance") and wider initial distribution
Augur: Decentralized prediction markets built on Ethereum
MaidSafeCoin: Token to be exchanged 1:1 for Safecoin once the SAFE Network (a decentralized data storage and communication platform) goes live
Golem: Decentralized Ethereum-based computation network for buying/selling computing power
Zcash: Anonymous coin where transactions are verified without the sender/receiver and amount transferred being known (zero-knowledge proofs)
Tether: Blockchain-based representation of the US dollar backed by fiat reserves
Dogecoin: First meme-based coin
Decred:
PIVX: Dash fork
Stratis: Customizable blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) development platform for businesses and organizations
Waves:
Factom: Blockchain-based record-keeping system
Steem: Reddit-esque social networking/blogging platform
Iconomi:
DigixDAO:
BitConnect:
SingularDTV:
Round: Decentralized Ethereum-based eSports platform
Lisk: Decentralized Javascript application platform
First Blood: Decentralized Ethereum-based eSports platform
Bytecoin: Anonymous coin and the first to use CryptoNote technology (ring signatures)
GameCredits: Coin for the gaming industry (in-app or in-game purchases)
BitShares:
Miscellaneous coins not in the top 30:
Auroracoin: Coin for Icelandic residents
Burst: Coin mined using free hard drive space ("proof-of-capacity")
Gridcoin: Coins rewarded for contribution to BOINC network
Huntercoin: Human-mineable coin where coins are harvested by playing a game
Namecoin: Decentralized Domain Name System (DNS)
NXT: First pure proof-of-stake coin
Omni: Platform for creating custom assets/currencies on top of the Bitcoin blockchain
Peercoin: First coin to use proof-of-stake (actually hybrid PoW/PoS)
Primecoin: Coin with proof-of-work system that searches for prime numbers
RISE: Lisk fork
mix xing assets, master-node-centric-networks, and opensource chains into one blend of brown gloop.
smells funny too!