Beyond Bitcoin: A Taxonomy of Cryptocurrencies in a Historical Perspective

Abstract

The field of cryptocurrencies is in existence and dynamically evolving for over 14 years. Each year introduces new cryptocurrencies, with their total number exceeding 8,500. However, to date, there is no exhaustive categorization of cryptocurrencies that could possibly fully describe the landscape of the cryptocurrency market, which underscores the relevance of this research. The objective of this study is to construct a hierarchical categorization (taxonomy) of cryptocurrencies based on their main characteristics and functions. The principal research method is a retrospective analysis of the development of the cryptocurrency field from the creation of Bitcoin to the present day. As the industry evolved, new projects emerged, which significantly differed in their properties from what existed before, thus forming entirely new categories and niches in the cryptocurrency space. Moreover, the emergence of certain types of cryptocurrencies could lead to changes in the existing classification. The outcome of this research is a taxonomy of interchangeable cryptocurrencies/tokens. The proposed taxonomy is accompanied by a detailed examination of the cryptocurrencies associated with each category, as well as a consideration of the largest cryptocurrencies in terms of capitalization through its prism. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the absence of similar studies that look at the issue of categorizing cryptocurrencies through a historical lens.

Keywords

• cryptocurrencies
• bitcoin
• blockchain
• smart contracts
• ethereum
• decentralized finance (defi)
• taxonomy
• categorization