Quote from: alerdenisov on December 14, 2017, 02:47:16 PM

First of all, I suppose you should differ cryptocurrencies based on protocol behind then.

Basically we could to separate protocols by next features:
1) Block validators motivation way based on consensus
2) Transaction and data storing rules

One of them give us way to exchange value in a private way (ZCash, Monero, Dash), another provide VM for smart-contracts. Some of them allow anyone to mine cryptocurrency, another require stakes to "forge" coins.

I think great way to understand most of them: select some which is most interested for you from list below and we will discuss more about them:
Top 100 Cryptocurrencies in few words

Code:

Name | Sym. | Description
----------------|-------|------------------------------------------
Bitcoin | BTC | Digital gold
Ethereum | ETH | Programmable contracts and money
Bitcoin Cash | BCH | Bitcoin clone
Ripple | XRP | Enterprise payment settlement network
Litecoin | LTC | Faster Bitcoin
Dash | DASH | Privacy-focused Bitcoin clone
NEO | NEO | Chinese-market Ethereum
NEM | XEM | Batteries-included digital assets
Monero | XMR | Private digital cash
Ethereum Classic| ETC | Ethereum clone
IOTA | MIOTA | Internet-of-things payments
Qtum | QTUM | Ethereum contracts on Bitcoin
OmiseGO | OMG | Banking, remittance, and exchange
Zcash | ZEC | Private digital cash
BitConnect | BCC | Madoff-like investment fund
Lisk | LSK | Decentralized applications in JavaScript
Cardano | ADA | Layered currency and contracts
Tether | USDT | Price = 1 USD
Stellar Lumens | XLM | Digital IOUs
EOS | EOS | Decentralized applications on WebAssembly
Hshare | HSR | Blockchain switchboard
Waves | WAVES | Decentralized exchange and crowdfunding
Stratis | STRAT | Decentralized applications in C#
Komodo | KMD | Decentralized ICOs
Ark | ARK | Blockchain switchboard
Electroneum | ETN | Monero clone
Bytecoin | BCN | Privacy-focused cryptocurrency
Steem | STEEM | Reddit with money voting
Ardor | ARDR | Blockchain for spawning blockchains
Binance Coin | BNB | Pay Binance exchange fees
Augur | REP | Decentralized prediction market
Populous | PPT | Invoice trading futures
Decred | DCR | Bitcoin with alternative governance
TenX | PAY | Cryptocurrency credit card
MaidSafeCoin | MAID | Rent disk space
BitcoinDark | BTCD | Zcoin close
BitShares | BTS | Decentralized exchange
Golem | GNT | Rent other people's computers
PIVX | PIVX | Inflationary Dash clone
Gas | GAS | Pay fees on Neo
TRON | TRX | In-app-purchases
Vertcoin | VTC | Bitcoin clone
MonaCoin | MONA | Japanese Dogecoin
Factom | FCT | Decentralized record keeping
Basic Attention | BAT | Decentralized ad network
SALT | SALT | Cryptocurrency-backed loans
Kyber Network | KNC | Decentralized exchange
Dogecoin | DOGE | Serious meme bitcoin clone
DigixDAO | DGD | Organisation manages tokenized gold
Veritaseum | VERI | Vaporware
Walton | WTC | IoT Blockchain
SingularDTV | SNGLS | Decentralized Netflix
Bytom | BTM | Physical assets as tokens
Byteball Bytes | GBYTE | Decentralized database and currency
GameCredits | GAME | Video game currency
Metaverse ETP | ETP | Chinese Ethereum plus identity
GXShares | GXS | Decentralized Chinese Equifax
Syscoin | SYS | Decentralized marketplace
Siacoin | SC | Rent disk space
Status | SNT | Decentralized application browser
0x | ZRX | Decentralized exchange
Verge | XVG | Privacy Dogecoin
Lykke | LKK | Digital asset exchange
Civic | CVC | Identity and Authentication App
Blocknet | BLOCK | Decentralized exchange
Metal | MTL | Payments with rewards program
Iconomi | ICN | Digital asset investment funds
Aeternity | AE | Decentralized apps (prototype)
DigiByte | DGB | Faster Bitcoin
Bancor | BNT | Token Index Funds
Ripio Credit | RCN | Co-signed Cryptocurrency Loans
ATMChain | ATM | Advertising network
Gnosis | GNO | Decentralized prediction market
VeChain | VEN | Supply chain item IDs
Pura | PURA | Cryptocurrency
Particl | PART | Privacy marketplace and chat
KuCoin Shares | KCS | Profit-sharing exchange fees
Bitquence | BQX | Mint for cryptocurrency investments
FunFair | FUN | Decentralized casino
ChainLink | LINK | External data for contracts
Power Ledger | POWR | Airbnb for electricity
Nxt | NXT | Cryptocurrency and marketplace
Monaco | MCO | Cryptocurrency credit card
Cryptonex | CNX | Zerocoin clone
MCAP | MCAP | Mining investment fund
Storj | STORJ | Rent disk space
ZenCash | ZEN | Privacy-focused Bitcoin clone
Nexus | NXS | Bitcoin clone
Neblio | NEBL | Decentralized application platform
Zeusshield | ZSC | Decentralized insurance
Streamr DATAcoin| DATA | Real-time data marketplace
ZCoin | XZC | Private digital cash
NAV Coin | NAV | Bitcoin with private transactions
AdEx | ADX | Advertising exchange
Open Trading | OTN | Decentralized exchange
SmartCash | SMART | Zcoin clone with rewards
Bitdeal | BDL | Bitcoin clone
Loopring | LRC | Decentralized exchange
Edgeless | EDG | Decentralized casino
FairCoin | FAIR | Bitcoin that rewards savers

Hi there alerdenisov! Nice post! I wonder if you could have include the programming languages they use in each of those coins and it could be more awesome if the protocols were also be indicated. Anyway, I can't see a table like that so i affirm your good work there. I just don't have enough merit to add it for you.

Quote from: hopeAo on December 14, 2017, 12:34:49 AM

what are the different types of cryptocurrencies?
what are the major differeces?

I think you could also check this post https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=134179.0 to to gain more further insight with different coins. As of now most of the so called "major coins" are listed by their price and popularity or other are by market cap and traded volume and not by the innovation it brings.