Quick and honest assessments
1. BTC
Value Proposition: Global currency and global store of value that is quickly becoming the future of money. The most sound money humanity has ever had. Most secure network in human history. Totally unique in the crypto world.
Warning: Slow transactions for security sake. Must use Layer 2 (Lightning Network) for efficient payments.
Realistic unofficial motto: Move slowly and get it right with global money.
2. ETH
Value Proposition: The dominant smart contract platform that has the lion’s share of the dapp and NFT markets. Massive upgrade to a more scalable version (Ethereum 2.0) fully launching in 2022.
Warning: Still showing signs of immaturity and significant security issues despite its dominant place in the market behind Bitcoin for several years. There are technical dangers inherent to making the major upgrade to Eth2. Other smart contract platform competitors are emerging.
Realistic unofficial motto: A network for crypto applications.
3. BNB
Value Proposition: The base token on the Binance exchange trading platforms and the Binance Smart Chain platform. Binance is the largest corporate empire in crypto. Binance burns the token regularly to create an artificially lowered supply.
Warning: Totally controlled by Binance, so any risk to the company is a risk to the token.
Realistic unofficial motto: We’re a crypto corporate empire, so buy our token.
4. USDT
Value Proposition: The largest stablecoin.
Warning: There have long been questions about whether this token is 100% backed with US Dollars, and it seems it hasn’t been at certain points in the past.
Realistic unofficial motto: Tokenized dollars for when we’re your only option.
5. ADA
Value Proposition: Smart contract platform that is more scalable than Ethereum and less risky for creating tokens.
Warning: There is some question about its ability to handle smart contract applications (or at least the ease with which developers can make viable applications) after the dismal full launch of its capabilities recently.
Realistic unofficial motto: We hope to compete with Ethereum.
6. SOL
Value Proposition: Highest number of transactions in crypto and does smart contracts and NFTs. May compete with Ethereum.
Warning: Immature tech that got DDoS’d into shutting down for a day recently.
Realistic unofficial motto: Fastest blockchain and we’ve got NFTs.
7. XRP
Value Proposition: A centralized corporate bank token used as an efficient back-end money transfer for banks.
Warning: There is no good reason for it to exist as a publicly available cryptocurrency other than to keep the company funded and make the founders billionaires. The company and its founders are currently under SEC investigation for illegal fundraising.
Realistic unofficial motto: Crypto for banks, not people.
8. DOT
Value Proposition: A “Layer 0” web of blockchains made to connect the crypto world together.
Warning: Full services launch in Nov/Dec 2021, so it is completely unknown what shape the network takes once operational and running projects.
Realistic unofficial motto: If the future of crypto is multi-chain, we might just be the hub of that world.
9. DOGE
Value Proposition: Has a specific dog logo that is a famous internet meme.
Warning: No real value proposition. Price is primarily dependent on Elon Musk tweeting about it.
Realistic unofficial motto: If you like memes, blow a few bucks on Dogecoin as a joke.
10. SHIB
Value Proposition: Has a dog logo.
Warning: No real value proposition. Price is primarily dependent on Elon Musk tweeting about dogs.