By Jon Southurst, Coindesk.com
UPDATE (27th March 22:40 GMT): More information, and coins.
This year has seen a new, if predictable, trend in altcoin development: nation-based digital currencies. There are at least eight coins currently circulating or in development, with more surely to follow. Here is the CoinDesk guide to the main players and their current status.
Unlike the world’s other altcoins, which seek to either improve on bitcoin technology or merely copy it as part of ‘pump and dump’ schemes, national cryptocurrencies claim higher purposes, such as establishing sovereignty or building patriotism – or at least using those emotional themes to bootstrap the currency’s value and newsworthiness.
