Bitcoin Protocol: The Bitcoin protocol is a public blockchain network that uses a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism. Its primary use case is to serve as a decentralized digital currency, enabling peer-to-peer transactions without the need for a central authority like a bank or government.
Ethereum Protocol: Ethereum is also a public blockchain, but it introduced the concept of smart contracts. These are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. The Ethereum network uses a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism known as Ethereum 2.0. Its use cases include decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization of assets, and the creation of decentralized applications (dApps).
Ripple Protocol: The Ripple protocol, also known as the XRP Ledger, is a digital payment protocol that enables fast, low-cost international money transfers. It uses a consensus algorithm called the Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA). Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, Ripple is not primarily a public blockchain: its main users are banks and payment providers.
Cardano Protocol: Cardano is a public blockchain platform. It is the first blockchain platform to evolve out of a scientific philosophy and a research-first driven approach. Cardano uses a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros. Its use cases include smart contracts and the creation of dApps, similar to Ethereum.
Polkadot Protocol: Polkadot is a multi-chain platform that allows different blockchains to interoperate in a shared security model. It uses a PoS consensus mechanism and supports the creation of smart contracts and dApps. Its unique use case is enabling cross-chain communication and collaboration.
Hyperledger Fabric Protocol: Hyperledger Fabric is a private, permissioned blockchain infrastructure designed for use in enterprise contexts. It utilizes a pluggable consensus mechanism, meaning it can support a variety of consensus algorithms depending on the network’s needs. Its primary use cases are in industries such as healthcare, finance, and supply chain, where it can facilitate secure, traceable transactions and contracts.
Binance Smart Chain (BSC) Protocol: BSC is a blockchain network built for running smart contract-based applications. It operates in parallel with Binance Chain. BSC boasts its compatibility with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Its consensus model is Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA). Use cases include DeFi apps, dApps, and digital assets.
EOS Protocol: EOS is a blockchain protocol that emulates most of the attributes of a real computer, including hardware with the computing resources distributed equally among EOS cryptocurrency holders. It uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism. EOS’ use cases are similar to that of Ethereum and include dApps and smart contracts.
R3Corda: R3 Corda is an open-source blockchain-inspired distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform designed for businesses. It offers a unique approach to secure data privacy, interoperability, and frictionless business transactions. Corda features a pluggable consensus algorithm, allowing developers to address trade-offs in performance, scalability, security, and privacy. It is preferred by B2B businesses and enables companies to transact securely and privately using smart contracts, reducing transaction costs and streamlining operations.
Chainlink: Chainlink is a decentralized blockchain oracle network built on Ethereum. It acts as a bridge between smart contracts and off-chain data sources, facilitating the transfer of tamper-proof data to on-chain smart contracts. By connecting smart contracts directly to real-world data, events, and payments, Chainlink enables the verification of contract parameters independently from any contract stakeholders. It uses a network of decentralized and independent nodes to securely connect off-chain services and data requests with smart contracts, expanding the use cases of smart contract technology in sectors like decentralized finance (DeFi) and on-chain gaming.
Filecoin Protocol: The Filecoin protocol is designed as a decentralized storage system. It uses the Proof-of-storage consensus mechanism that allows nodes to verify they are storing the correct data.
Tezos Protocol: Tezos is a decentralized ledger using blockchain that governs itself by establishing a true digital commonwealth. It uses a Liquid Proof-of-Stake (LPoS) consensus mechanism and allows its users to vote on proposed protocol changes.
Solana Protocol: Solana is a high-performance blockchain supporting builders around the world creating crypto apps. It leverages a unique timestamp system — Proof of History (PoH) — to process transactions in parallel.
Algorand Protocol: Algorand operates as a permissionless, pure Proof-of-Stake (PPoS) blockchain protocol. Aimed at speeding up blockchain’s slow decentralization process, it offers immediate transaction finality.
Hedera Hashgraph: Hedera is a public network that uses hashgraph consensus, a faster, more secure alternative to blockchain consensus mechanisms. Its use cases range from DeFi (decentralized finance) to content and media creation, in supply chain, energy sector, and more.
Aave Protocol: Aave is an open-source, non-custodial protocol on Ethereum for decentralized lending and borrowing. Aave users can earn interest on deposits and borrow assets with a variable or stable interest rate.
Cosmos Protocol: Cosmos is a decentralized network of independent parallel blockchains. It uses a consensus mechanism known as Tendermint, a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus algorithm.
Avalanche Protocol: Avalanche offers a platform for launching decentralized applications and enterprise blockchain deployments in an interoperable, highly scalable ecosystem. It uses Avalanche consensus – a novel PoS mechanism that rewards honesty and correct behavior.
Polygon Protocol: Polygon is a protocol and a framework for building and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks. It combines the best of Ethereum and sovereign blockchains into a fully-fledged multi-chain system.
Qtum Protocol: Qtum is an open-source public blockchain platform which combines the strength of Bitcoin’s blockchain with Ethereum’s virtual machine to allow smart contracts on mobile and IoT devices. It uses a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism.
Hedgetrade Protocol: Hedgetrade is a blockchain-based social trading platform where the world’s best traders share their knowledge. It uses a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism.
Celo Protocol: Celo is an open platform that makes financial tools accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. It uses dPoS (Delegated Proof-of-Stake) as its consensus mechanism.
Bancor Protocol: Bancor is a protocol on the Ethereum blockchain for liquidity and automated pricing. It introduced “Smart Tokens,” which can be bought or sold directly through their smart contracts.
Yearn.finance (YFI) Protocol: Yearn.finance is a suite of products in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) that provides lending aggregation, yield generation, and insurance on the Ethereum blockchain. The protocol is maintained by various independent developers and uses a multicoin staking model.
PancakeSwap Protocol: PancakeSwap is an automated market maker (AMM) — a decentralized finance application that allows users to exchange tokens, providing liquidity via farming and earning fees in return. It operates on the Binance Smart Chain.
Uniswap Protocol: Uniswap is a fully decentralized protocol for automated liquidity provision on Ethereum. It operates on an automated liquidity model, ensuring that the protocol is self-sustainable.
SushiSwap Protocol: SushiSwap is an evolution of Uniswap with SUSHI tokenomics. SushiSwap protocol better aligns incentives for network participants by introducing revenue-sharing and network effects via SUSHI tokens.
Compound Protocol: Compound is a protocol on the Ethereum blockchain that establishes money markets with algorithmically set interest rates based on supply and demand, allowing users to earn interest or borrow assets against collateral. It operates on the Ethereum network and follows the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism.
Curve Finance Protocol: Curve Finance is a decentralized exchange optimized for efficient stablecoin trading. It uses Automated Market Making (AMM) to manage liquidity.
NEAR : NEAR Protocol is a decentralized application (dApp) platform and layer 1 blockchain network. It aims to provide a developer-friendly environment for building decentralized applications. NEAR Protocol utilizes a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism and employs sharding to enhance transaction speed and capacity. It addresses limitations of older systems by focusing on scalability, interoperability, and usability. NEAR Protocol offers features like fast transaction finality, low fees, and human-readable account names, making it suitable for various dApp use cases.
The Graph:The Graph is an open-source indexing protocol that allows developers to organize and access blockchain data using GraphQL. It enables the creation of open APIs called subgraphs, which applications can query to retrieve specific blockchain data. The Graph supports indexing data from networks like Ethereum and IPFS, and it has been widely adopted by various decentralized applications (DApps) in the DeFi and Web3 ecosystem. The protocol offers a hosted service for developers to easily get started, and a decentralized network is set to launch in the future.
Ocean Protocol is an open-source protocol that enables businesses and individuals to exchange and monetize data and data-based services. It is a decentralized marketplace for web3 data that aims to provide universal, easy access to data to everyone with a minimum cost and maximum security, along with all data protection measures. Ocean Protocol allows users to store their data with complete control over it, and developers can build data sets by using Ocean libraries. The native token of Ocean Protocol cryptocurrency is called the OCEAN token, which is used to buy and sell data, validate data tokens and vote for governance change.
Quorum: Quorum is an enterprise-focused blockchain protocol built on the Ethereum platform. It offers enhanced privacy and permissioned features for businesses.
Gnosis Chain:Gnosis Chain is a blockchain protocol that emerged from the merger between Gnosis and the xDAI community. The protocol aims to develop the xDAI Blockchain under the name “Gnosis Chain.” GnosisDAO has reserved a significant amount of GNO tokens (approximately $190 million) to incentivize usage and develop the Gnosis Chain ecosystem. The protocol seeks to support the adoption of various DeFi protocols on the xDAI chain and encourage NFT projects to rebrand under the Gnosis brand. Gnosis Chain intends to follow the Ethereum roadmap closely and address liquidity issues that have affected projects on xDAI by providing incentives and support for DEXs and other applications