1. Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum is a blockchain-based software platform that enables decentralized applications to run seamlessly. Its goal is to create a decentralized financial system that enables anyone in the world to freely access a variety of financial products.

Applications on Ethereum are run on Ether, its platform-specific token. Developers looking to develop and run such applications are mostly looking to get started with Ethereum as it is the second-largest digital currency after Bitcoin.

In 2014, Ethereum launched a pre-ICO offering, which received an overwhelming amount of support. According to the company, it is a decentralized digital currency that can be used to decentralized transactions.

Ethereum's market cap is $138.1 billion as of January 2021. In 2021, its network will be switched from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-staking. This move will allow Ethereum to run more smoothly and consume less energy.

Miners who participate in this process are rewarded with Ether. This method is similar to a gold-like account.

2. Litecoin (LTC)

Launched in 2011, Litecoin is a digital currency that was created by Charlie Lee, a former Google engineer. It became the first cryptocurrency to implement a distributed ledger technology known as scrypt. Due to its fast block generation, it has been regarded as the silver to Bitcoin’s gold.

3. Cardano (ADA)

Cardano is a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency that was created by a team of scientists and mathematicians. It was co-founded by Charles Hoskinson, who was one of the founders of Ethereum.

The researchers behind Cardano's project have been working on various blockchain-related topics for over a decade. Their work has been acknowledged by the blockchain community and is considered the backbone of the coin.

Although it has beaten Ethereum in terms of proof-of-peer consensus, Cardano still has a long road to go in terms of decentralized applications. Its goal is to become the world's financial operating system, with decentralized financial products and solutions.

4. Polkadot (DOT)

Polkadot is a proof-of-stake cryptocurrency that aims to deliver interoperability among various blockchains. Its core component is its relay chain, which allows networks to work seamlessly together.

Polkadot also supports parallel blockchains, where developers can create their own native tokens. Unlike Ethereum, it doesn't require developers to store their own tokens.

Polkadot is a decentralized security system that enables developers to create their own secure tokens. Its concept is similar to the shared security concept that Ethereum has.

5. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bitcoin Cash is one of the earliest hard forks in the history of altcoins. It was created in 2009 and became the first altcoin to implement a fork. A fork occurs when the chain underlying the digital currency is changed.

BCH was created in August 2017 due to one of the aforementioned splits. Its main issue was the issue of scaling, as Bitcoin has a limit on the size of its blocks.

BCH is an Ethereum-based token. It has various changes.