Bitcoin vs Everything Else

Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency, launched in 2009, with a fixed supply cap of 21 million coins. Its scarcity and first-mover advantage give it a unique position in the market.

Ethereum introduced smart contracts — programs that run on the blockchain. Beyond those two, the field gets speculative fast. Many altcoins promise revolutionary technology but deliver little more than a website and a whitepaper. If you cannot explain what a crypto project actually does in one sentence, that is a red flag.