Crypto

Avalanche (AVAX) is a blockchain platform and cryptocurrency designed for decentralised applications and custom blockchain networks. Launched in 2020 by Ava Labs, it claims sub-second transaction finality and supports Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible smart contracts. Its subnet architecture allows projects to launch their own customised blockchains, attracting DeFi protocols, gaming companies and institutional users.

Bitcoin (BTC) is the world's first decentralised cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. It operates on a proof-of-work blockchain with a fixed supply cap of 21 million coins, making it deflationary by design. Widely regarded as "digital gold", it is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation and the most widely held by institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

BNB is the native utility token of the BNB Chain ecosystem (formerly Binance Smart Chain) and the world's largest centralised cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. Created in 2017 by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, it offers fee discounts on the Binance exchange and powers a large ecosystem of DeFi projects, NFT platforms and games on BNB Chain.

Cardano (ADA) is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform that aims to provide a more secure and sustainable infrastructure for decentralised applications. Founded in 2017 by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, it uses a peer-reviewed academic research approach to blockchain development. The Cardano Foundation promotes the protocol and ecosystem, which includes smart contracts via the Alonzo upgrade.

Chainlink (LINK) is a decentralised oracle network that provides smart contracts on blockchains with tamper-proof data from real-world sources such as price feeds, weather data, sports results and payment systems. Founded in 2017 by Sergey Nazarov and Steve Ellis, it is the industry-leading oracle solution and a critical piece of infrastructure for DeFi protocols that depend on accurate external data.

Dogecoin (DOGE) originated in 2013 as a joke cryptocurrency based on the "Doge" internet meme, created by software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. Despite its humorous origins, it became one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, driven largely by enthusiastic retail communities and high-profile endorsements from Elon Musk, who called it his "favourite crypto".

Ethereum (ETH) is the world's second-largest cryptocurrency and the leading platform for smart contracts and decentralised applications. Founded in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, it switched from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake in 2022 ("The Merge"), reducing energy consumption by over 99 percent. Its network hosts the vast majority of DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces and layer-2 scaling solutions.

Polkadot (DOT) is a blockchain protocol designed to enable different blockchains to communicate and share data securely. Founded by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and launched in 2020, it uses a relay chain and parachain architecture. Projects can lease a parachain slot to connect to Polkadot's shared security and interoperability layer, potentially becoming a "blockchain of blockchains".

Polygon (MATIC) is an Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution that provides faster and cheaper transactions while inheriting Ethereum's security. Founded in 2017 as Matic Network by Indian developers, it rebranded to Polygon in 2021 and has become one of the most widely used networks for NFTs, DeFi and Web3 applications. The team is developing Polygon 2.0, a vision for a unified network of zero-knowledge-powered chains.

Solana (SOL) is a high-performance blockchain platform designed for decentralised applications and crypto-currencies, capable of processing up to 65,000 transactions per second. Founded in 2020 by Anatoly Yakovenko, its low transaction costs and speed have attracted a large ecosystem of DeFi, NFT and gaming projects. Solana has recovered from the FTX collapse of 2022, which temporarily devastated its ecosystem.

XRP is the native cryptocurrency of the Ripple payment network, designed for fast, low-cost international money transfers. Created in 2012 by Ripple Labs, XRP transactions settle in 3-5 seconds at fractions of a cent. Ripple uses XRP to provide on-demand liquidity (ODL) to financial institutions facilitating cross-border payments, as an alternative to the pre-funding of nostro accounts.