10 Different Types of Cryptocurrencies In 2025

Cryptocurrency was a new concept in early 2008 when Great Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin. Nowadays, in 2025
there is no person in the world that has not heard about crypto, blockchain, and decentralized industry. It has been a long journey in these 16 years and lots of different types of cryptos are introduced.

Every blockchain and crypto has its unique features. For example, Ethereum is a wonderful coin and blockchain on which you can build numerous apps. On the other hand, coins like Floki allow you to play games and earn money through your gaming skills.

Today, there are more than 10,000 cryptocurrencies. Sometimes, a coin has different features simultaneously. The Graph is a crypto with AI features, while it can be classified under DePIN coins as well. So, let’s delve into the details of these categories and find out their key features.

A Layer-1 blockchain is the base layer of a blockchain architecture. It functions as the main independent chain where transactions are directly carried out and verified. It also provides the necessary framework for decentralized apps and smart contracts. 

In order to validate transactions and create new blocks to the blockchain, a Layer-1 Blockchain is maintained by its own network of nodes. To reach an agreement on the legitimacy of transactions, every one of these nodes uses a consensus method. The security, transparency, and immutability of the blockchain are maintained via this mechanism.

Layer-1 cryptocurrency types are the most famous coins. Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), and Solana (SOL) are some examples of this category.

Since Layer-2 network blockchains operate independently of Layer-1 blockchains for transaction execution, they are also considered off-chain scaling options. This implies that the Layer-2 network need not be a distinct blockchain; rather, it could be a centralized network where users decide to trust one another rather than depending on code to uphold trust, or it could just be a payment channel for sending money between two or more users via smart contacts.

Polygon (MATIC), Stacks (STX), Mantle (MNT), and Immutable (IMX) are examples of layer-2 cryptocurrency types with the highest market cap value.

The significant volatility of the most well-known cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (BTC), has rendered cryptocurrency investments less appropriate for everyday transactions. Stablecoins seek to offer an alternative.

Stablecoins that are fiat-collateralized keep a reserve of a fiat currency, like the US dollar, as collateral to guarantee the worth of the stablecoin. Although commodities like crude oil and precious metals like gold or silver can also be used as collateral, most fiat-collateralized stablecoins have USD reserves. They work based on the blockchains, and different types of cryptocurrencies are created based on them.

USDT, USDC, DAI, and FDUSD are the top 4 examples of stablecoins cryptocurrency types with the highest market value.

Any digital asset utilized in DeFi apps, whether coins or tokens, is considered a DeFi cryptocurrency in the broadest sense. DeFi coins are regularly generated by DeFi dApp developers to supplement their blockchains with unique features such as incentive systems or voting rights. 

DeFi coins are cryptocurrencies that serve a specific purpose inside their respective Web3 ecosystems. Hence they are often a subset of a wider category known as utility tokens. DeFi tokens have applications in their crypto ecosystems that go beyond price speculation, despite the fact that they may trade at a changing price on some cryptocurrency exchanges.

Avalanche (AVAX), Chainlink (LINK), Internet Computer (ICP), and Dai (DAI) are the top 4 examples of types of crypto ranked by market cap value.

Because of Meme coins’s fun nature, many different types of cryptocurrencies can be classified under this category. Compared to other types of crypto, meme coins are more speculative due to their ample supply and volatility. Thus, they have a lot in common with them, such as the propensity to become rapidly out of date and viral. A general definition of meme coins as cryptocurrency is having a vibrant online community that encourages the currency’s development. Occasionally, memes featuring animated creatures or animals are used to identify them. Memecoins latch on to the internet meme culture and do not have much utility.

Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Pepe (PEPE), and Dogwifhat (WIF) are examples of meme coins.

DePIN coins are broad types of cryptocurrency that can be used to construct or manage physical infrastructure using blockchain technology. Projects called Digital Resource Networks encourage decentralized providers to use cloud-based resources like processing power and digital storage. 

Filecoin (FIL), Render (RNDR), The Graph (GRT), and Theta Network (THETA) are good examples of the DePIN cryptocurrency types.

Players on the blockchain gaming platform may earn a type of crypto called Play-to-Earn (P2E). In essence, GameFi tokens are virtual cash found within games and can be traded like the different types of cryptocurrencies we mentioned in this article.  Staking, governance operations, special discounts, GameFi’s liquidity assistance, and ecosystem fees are some of the use cases for GameFi tokens. 

GameFi tokens provide players with access to a new source of revenue through the purchase and sale of GameFi NFTs, in-game awards, and cryptocurrency earnings. GameFi is a hybrid of decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming. Unlike traditional gaming, GameFi tokens are used between games and have real-world value. It distinguishes itself by combining aspects of cryptocurrency with gaming.

Immutable (IMX), Floki (FLOKI), GALA (GALA), and Axie Infinity (AXS) are examples of GameFi and Play-to-Earn cryptocurrency types.

Real-world assets (RWAs) are types of crypto based on blockchain technology that stand in for conventional and tangible financial assets, including cash, commodities, stocks, bonds, credit, artwork, and intellectual property. The ability to access, trade, and manage RWAs has changed significantly with their tokenization. This has opened up new possibilities for blockchain-powered financial services and a broad range of non-financial use cases supported by decentralized consensus and cryptography.

Tokenizing real-world assets involves representing an asset’s ownership rights as an on-chain token. Unlike traditional assets, tokenized assets have more liquidity and accessibility. Tokenizing RWAs for financial assets also creates a single layer that handles distribution, trading, clearing, settlement, and safekeeping, making a better-performing on-chain financial system with lower counterparty risk and more effective capital mobilization.

Ondo (ONDO), Mantra (OM), XDC Network (XDC), and Pendle (PENDLE) are top examples of RWA cryptocurrency types.

Blockchain technology and artificial intelligence collide at a critical turning point in the history of digital currency with AI coins. These currencies aim to use blockchain technology’s decentralized secure structure as a platform for AI development and operations rather than merely being another cryptocurrency. This hybrid system preserves the advantages of blockchain, like decentralization, security, and transparency, while establishing a new ecosystem in which AI coins may flourish independently.

AI cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology to build a decentralized foundation for AI applications. This covers everything, spanning several industries, including healthcare, logistics, and finance, from creating AI models to carrying out AI-driven operations safely and transparently. AI algorithms running on blockchain networks are the first step in this process because they can access, analyze, and learn from enormous amounts of tokenized data. 

Render (RNDR), Bittensor (TAO), The Graph (GRT), and Fetch.ai (FET) are four AI cryptocurrency types with the highest value in the aspect of market cap.

A privacy coin is among those types of crypto that puts the user’s anonymity and privacy first. “Privacy coin” refers to digital currencies that enable anonymous online transactions. When Bitcoin was first introduced, it was viewed as a privacy coin. Several competing technical solutions are now being investigated to ensure the highest level of anonymity in payment transactions based on public DLTs. It is common to draw parallels between the progress of Bitcoin’s privacy protection and the evolution of web browsers from the original HTTP protocol to the more frequently used HTTPS. 

Monero (XMR) is the leader in this category. Oasis Network (ROSE), Dash (DASH), and Zcash (ZEC) are other examples of privacy coins.