MetaMask: Web browser plug-in that connects your device to

the Ethereum network. MetaMask also enables peer-to-peer

sharing and token swapping.

Rarible: The first community owned NFT marketplace.

Civic: Secure identity and data management on the Blockchain.

Audius: A music streaming and sharing platform that puts the

power back into the content creators’ hands.

Compound Finance: Opensource protocol for algorithmic,

efficient money markets on the Ethereum network.

Zapper: Tracks and visualizes your DeFi assets and liabilities

on a simple dashboard.

2.8 Altcoins

With Ethereum, started an age of “Altcoins” or the arrival of an array

of cryptocurrencies, other than Bitcoin. Most Altcoins or alternative

cryptocurrencies, also known as “Ethereum Killers” were introduced

to the market by “Initial Coin Offering” or ICO which are fundraising

events just like IPO (Initial Public Offering) and are listed in the

crypto exchanges. Depending upon their inherent architecture,

features, associated team, funders, co-founders, revenue model etc.,

they are to be evaluated in the market for growth.

As per CoinMarketCap, in early 2021, “Crypto Market Cap Hits $1

Trillion — Some Think It Will Double in Six Months”.

But as per the Economics Times in November 2021, “Over the last

few years, the crypto-asset space has grown and today more than

13,000 Altcoins collectively command a market cap of USD1.4

trillion.”

Just like Ethereum, many of these Altcoins were programmable and

yet different from Bitcoin or Ethereum in one way or the other. Be it

their consensus mechanism, L2 architecture etc., they worked on the

weak points of Ethereum, gradually leading the market to “Money

2.0” or a new kind of cash that is programmable, and works on the

Internet in a fast and reliable manner. In the next few chapters, we