Base layer protocols
Base layer protocols are the peer-to-peer networks which form the basis of the decentralized web. These base protocols are typically blockchains with an associated cryptocurrency coin secured by a consensus protocol where participants in the network decide collectively on the addition of new blocks to the blockchain ledger.
Currencies
Cryptocurrencies with the primary intention of a decentralized currency replacement to traditional fiat currencies by being a store of value, a unit of account, or a medium of exchange.
Smart contract platforms
Platforms for decentralized applications allowing for the execution of code on the blockchain in the form of smart contracts. These platforms allow for more generalized logic to be coded on the blockchain enabling a broad range of web 3.0 decentralized applications.
Privacy currencies
A specialized form of cryptocurrencies focused on maintaining the privacy and anonymity of individuals transaction with them.
Distributed ledgers (non blockchain)
A class of distributed ledgers whose structure does not rely blocks of transactions but rather other architectures like a directed acyclic graph. These alternate ledgers have different security, scalability, and consensus properties from blockchain technologies.
- IOTA
- Nano
- ByteBall
- Distributed hash graph (DHT)
- Kademlia
Permissioned ledgers
Blockchains or distributed ledgers that require special access or permission to participate rather than being open to the public.
Blockchain Theory & Fundamentals
Fundamental concepts related to blockchains.
Blockchain properties
Properties of blockchains and cryptocurrency systems.
Components
Components of blockchains.
Consensus
Consensus algorithms, sybil control mechanisms, and other topics related to consensus mechanisms for establishing a consistent canonical agreement between network participants on the blockchain state.
Sybil control mechanisms
- Proof-of-Work (PoW)
- Proof-of-Stake (PoS)
- Proof-of-Capacity (PoC)
- Proof-of-Burn (PoB)
- Proof of Proof-of-Work (PoPoW)
- Proof-of-Authority (PoA)
- Proof-of-Activity (PoA)
- Proof-of-Storage (PoS)
- Proof-of-Replication (PoRep)
- Proof-of-Time (PoT)
- Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS)
- Proof-of-Stake-Velocity (PoSV)
- Leased Proof-of-Stake (LPoS)
- Proof-of-Resource (PoR)
- Proof-of-Importance (PoI)
- Proof-of-Provenance (PoP)
- Proof-of-Devotion (PoD)
- Proof-of-Believability (PoB)
- Proof-of-Audit (PoA)
- Sentinel Proof of Retrievability (SPoR)
- 2D Byzantine Delegated Proof-of-Stake (2D-BPoS)
- Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET)
- Proof-of-Stake Voting (PoSV)
- Proof of Replica (PoR)
- Proof of Storage and Time (PoST)
- Proof-of-Service (PoS)
- Proof-of-Signature (PoSign)
- Proof of Stake & Trust (PoST)
- Randomized Delegated Proof of Stake (Roll-DPoS)
- Proof of Trust (PoT)
Consensus mechanisms
Blockchain attack vectors
Methods by which malicious actors can attempt to subvert or disrupt the intended functionality of blockchain protocols.
- 51 percent attack (majority attack)
- Selfish Mining attack (Block discarding)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure comprises the development stack for building decentralized applications. These are protocols and tools that may connect and support applications and other protocols in a variety of ways.
Interoperability
Interoperability protocols allow for communication of state, data, or value transfer between different blockchains.
File storage
Store and retrieve files and data without relying on a trusted central authority.
Database
Decentralized database projects.
Scalability
Projects focusing on both on-chain and off-chain solutions for increasing blockchain transaction throughput.
Privacy and security
Privacy and security projects for decentralized applications.
Smart contract developer tools
Tools which help developers create and secure smart contract code.
Smart contract programming languages
Programming languages that are specific to smart contracts i.e. contract-oriented programming languages.
Oracles & prediction markets
Providing external data to decentralized systems.
Governance
Projects restructuring the way that institutions, political systems, and people govern and organize themselves using blockchain or decentralized technologies.
Identity
Personal identity secured using blockchain systems.
Decentralized organizations
Projects with decentralized governance or providing support for managing organizations through decentralized governance.
Legal
Connecting decentralized systems into traditional legal frameworks.
Open Internet
Projects working towards a more open and user controlled Internet.
VPN
Decentralized VPN services.
Value Exchange
Projects creating marketplaces or frameworks for peer to peer value exchange without a centralized intermediary. Projects in these categories often have what are considered utility tokens, which represent future access to a service.
Advertising
Advertising platforms connecting users, advertisers, and publishers directly without ad network intermediaries.
Data
Protocols enabling the sharing and monetization of data resources.
Marketplaces
Projects building decentralized marketplaces.
Mesh networking
Projects working on decentralized technologies and mesh networks.
Social
Decentralized social networks, communication tools, and social related applications built using blockchain technology. These projects employ a variety of differentiators from traditional social networks involving data privacy, monetary incentives, and more.
Content Monetization
Projects working on decentralized content monetization platforms enabling content creators and content consumers to transaction directly without third party mediation.
Computation
Decentralized projects in which users provide computation in exchange for tokens.
Energy
Projects focussing on the redistribution, transmission, and retail of energy via decentralized systems.
Property & housing rental
Decentralized property and housing rental.
Rides
Decentralized ride sharing.
Genome
Projects related to decentralized storage of genomic data and marketplaces for the exchange of genetic information.
Financial
The field of decentralized finance and cryptocurrency investments.
Centralized exchanges
Centralized exchanges for cryptocurrencies trading.
Decentralized Exchanges (DEX) or non-custodial relayers
A decentralized cryptocurrency exchange is an exchange market that utilizes blockchain or another decentralized technology to enable peer to peer transfer of digital assets without reliance on a trusted third party to hold funds.
Payments
Cryptocurrencies centered around real world payments.
Trading / market makers
Tools and projects assisting the trading and exchange between cryptocurrencies.
Asset management platforms
Platforms for managing cryptocurrency investments.
Wallets
Wallets are the user interface for directly interacting with the blockchain to transfer and move cryptocurrencies. Both hardware and software are included.
Escrow
Crypto hedge funds
Cryptocurrency hedge funds are investment funds which pool capital from investors into a group of assets focussing entirely or partially on cryptocurrencies or other decentralized digital asset.
Credit & lending
Projects working on credit, risk, and lending.
Insurance
Decentralized peer to peer insurance.
Security Tokens
Platforms for issuing and exchanging tokenized securities.
Debit Cards
Debit cards for spending cryptocurrencies.
Crowdfunding
Platforms to manage and launch blockchain crowdfunding projects.
- Komodo
Stablecoins
Stablecoins are projects attempting to create decentralized cryptocurrencies with specific properties like low volatility and non reliance on centralized backing.
Invoices
- Populous
Liquidity & accessibility
Cryptocollectables
Cryptocollectables are digital collectables, commonly using the ERC-721 non-fungible Ethereum token standard, recorded on a blockchain ledger.
Other
Other types of cryptocurrency and blockchain related projects.
Gambling
Decentralized gambling with provably fair odds.
Data authenticity and supply chain
Securing data records on immutable ledger systems.
- WaBi
Virtual and augmented reality
Projects using blockchain in combination with virtual or augmented reality.
Mobile hardware
Healthcare
Decentralized electronic medical records and other healthcare projects.
Consulting
Companies consulting on blockchain and smart contract technologies.
Gaming & entertainment
Cryptocurrencies as video game virtual assets, or other projects related to entertainment and gaming.
Internet of Things
Decentralized projects aiming to link the Internet of things to decentralized blockchain technology.
Timeline
People
Further reading
Documentaries, videos and podcasts
Companies
Contributors
- 1
Alex Dean
Masters in Biostatistics/Epidemiology @ UC Berkeley | BA in Biology @ Wesleyan University - 2
Dawson Sewell
Seeking to explain science and technology through simple writing. - 3
Michael Naval
Golden helper - 4
Jude Gomila
Founder and CEO of Golden, Entrepreneur. Previously Co Founder of Heyzap. Investor in 100+ companies. Cantabrigian (Gonville and Caius). - 5
Daniel Frumkin
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering; Passionate about cryptocurrencies, AI, engineering, and travel. - 6
Melanie Manipula
Researcher, writer and a former librarian - 7
Adam McKenna
Crypto guy - 8
Jed Christiansen
Special Projects & Business Development at Golden, Founder - Seed-DB. - 9
Carla Faraguna
Golden People and Operations. - 10
David Stumm
Golden engineer