Is there some standard term to describe all Bitcoin-like internet currencies, like Solidcoin, Namecoin and so forth? Like "currency" is to dollar, euro, yen, etc?
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4 Answers
distributed digital currency, or distributed digital crypto-currency. the "distributed" bit is a key issue - anyone can make a centralized digital currency, even with crypto thrown in.
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2The "digital" part is probably unnecessary, as there is few uses for non-digital crypto-currencies. Oct 17, 2011 at 15:13
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1indeed probably digital can be dropped... that said, what's the goal here? "the shortest name" or "the most accurate name" ?– nanotubeOct 18, 2011 at 3:08
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Probably the shortest of the names which are accurate, that is cover all the -coins without using a qualifier that doesn't add any information. Oct 18, 2011 at 6:47
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Distributed != decentralized. Mintchip, for instance, is close as it is distributed (multiple issuers), but it is not in the same league as bitcoin because the rules on it are centrally controlled. Jul 7, 2012 at 1:38
It's called crypto-currency, Wikipedia article.
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1As there are no crypto-currencies that are not decentralized, this is probably the shortest of the proper terms we can use so far, but that might change in the future to "distributed crypto-currency", as pointer out by nanotube. Oct 17, 2011 at 15:10
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1"As there are no crypto-currencies that are not decentralized" <- this is false. see, e.g., loom.cc.– nanotubeOct 18, 2011 at 3:09
I use "chain currencies". There are precedents for crypto currencies. OT currencies are also crypto-currencies. Ripple IOUs use cryptoGraphy in the distributed protocol too. The uniqueness is definitely in the block chain. I often refer to them as just "coins" since most of them are called SomethingCoin.
I think crypto-currency is the good term.
But personnally I tend to use digital currency because crypto can scare some users.
