1. Bitcoin: The world’s first and most popular cryptocurrency. It was created by an unknown individual or group of individuals under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. It is a digital payment system that allows users to send and receive money online without the need for intermediaries.
2. Ethereum: A blockchain-based platform for developing decentralized applications. It uses its own native cryptocurrency, Ether, which can be used to pay for transactions on the network. It is also used as a store of value and has been gaining popularity over the past few years.
3. Litecoin: A peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that was created as an alternative to Bitcoin. It is based on the same open-source code but has some technical differences. It is designed to be lighter and faster than Bitcoin, making it suitable for faster transactions.
4. Ripple: A real-time gross settlement system, currency exchange, and remittance network. It is built upon a distributed open-source internet protocol and supports tokens representing fiat currency, cryptocurrency, commodities, and other assets.
5. Dash: A privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses a decentralized mastercode network to instantly confirm transactions. It offers additional privacy protection compared to other cryptos and has grown in popularity due to its strong privacy focus.