Bitcoin was born in 2009, but it was just the first cryptocurrency around. According to CoinMarketCap (CMC), we have around 51.56 million different tokens by 2026 —and that’s not counting the smaller, custom, unlisted tokens. It can be really disorienting for any beginner who wants to explore beyond the most well-known names. But hey, we also have categories and types of crypto projects to organize this immense list.

Some platforms focus on payments, some others on decentralized applications (Dapps), while others power games, collectibles, and more. Here are five common types and what they bring to the table.

Crypto Payments

Obvious, but necessary. Bitcoin, of course, was the first one in this category. It’s been followed by a…