the using the term "crypto" is one of the reasons why "crypto" is such a scammy shitshow. "crypto" is an invalid categorization which implies shitcoins belong in the same category as bitcoin. to noobs this false framing leads to a completely fucked up and weird understanding of the entire phenomenon. noobs tend to think about different types of "crypto" as if they were different sports teams that compete in a league or as different stocks of various companies that compete for performance. this is utter and complete bullshit.

bitcoin is a protocol for exchanging value like the internet is a protocol for exchanging information. referring to the examples above bitcoin is not a single soccer team that happens to be leading momentarily. while shitcoins may be viewed as soccer teams of various kinds, bitcoin is the entire league, even better, bitcoin is soccer in general. the whole game in its entirety, with the complete history, all teams in all leagues worldwide. why would you try to pick a single team that may or may not become a winner when you could have a share of all soccer in general? shitcoins could be viewed as stocks of various different companies. bitcoin would not represent a single stock. bitcoin is the entire stock market. why trying to pick a single stock that may or may not perform well in the future when you could buy a share of all stock markets globally?

only bitcoin is a fair protocol that is not owned by any individual, company, state or other entity. it is owned by its users. ALL OTHER projects in the crypto space are owned by their inventors (mostly companies whose sole reason to exist is to make profit.) no other project is truly decentralized - only bitcoin is. bitcoin and shitcoins aren´t even remotly comparable. putting them in the same category labeled "crypto" is misleading and hides the fact that all those projects are scams.

have a look at this article in one of the most reputable (conservative) german newspapers - the F.A.Z. (it is in german and behind a paywall, meh)

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/finanzen/alternative-digitalwaehrung-ether-besser-als-bitcoin-17149396.html

for the last decade the FAZ was had a critical stance vs bitcoin. now, after 10 years of bitcoin bashing they come up with an article claiming that ETH "is better than bitcoin."  no word about it being centralized. no word about there is no cap. no word about the fact that it is not possible to run a validating node in the ETH network. no word about the fact that its design is fucked up from scratch trying to become a "world computer" on chain. no word about the fact that it has no valid monetary policy. the FAZ has never understood bitcoin, bashing it for years and then went one to welcome this pre-mined scam without the slightest critique. they fell victim to their own moronic stupidity. it all started with the false categorizing "crypto"

either "cryptocurrency" is a valid category and only bitcoin is in it or crypto means outright scam and bitcoin does not belong in it.