Nimiq is a browser based blockchain. It was written in Javascript ES6 and because of this, the complete blockchain runs in the browser. The main goal of Nimiq is to solve the payment solution, and to provide a browser based payment solution of sending money. They also have nearly instant transactions as well. Nimiq is a CPU only mineable coin, since it uses the Aragon2D algorithm. Nimiq intends to lower barriers of entry for blockchain technology, and make it accessible for mainstream use. With an operational betanet already live, users can experience how simple it is to mine inside a browser - installation free. Nimiq is making blockchain technology as accessible as the internet, with a vision to truly decentralize the web. Current available cryptocurrencies are complicated and counterintuitive for the average person to use. True internet decentralization is impossible if access to blockchain technology is limited to only the technically oriented people. Until blockchain can be picked up with general recognition and general usage, its true power remains unrealized. Nimiq originally began as an ERC20 (Ethereum) token, known as NET or Nimiq Exchange Token. Nimiq held its ICO throughout June and July of 2017, and raised over 10 million USD. NET trading was enabled shortly after the ICO, and development began on the project’s Github. NET was converted to NIM, the currency that is based on the Nimiq blockchain and network, on March 31st of 2018. Nimiq’s wallet (Nimiq Safe) is built right into the Nimiq website, which means there is no need to download or sync a wallet application. The wallet will lead you through a setup guide, which will help backup and secure your wallet in the case of data loss. As the Nimiq wallet is based in the browser, however, erasing your cache could delete your balance – so keeping a backup is highly recommended.
IOTA is a distributed ledger for the Internet of Things. The first ledger with microtransactions without fees as well as secure data transfer. Quantum proof. IOTA is a ground breaking new open-source distributed ledger that does not use a blockchain. Its innovative new quantum-proof protocol, known as the Tangle, gives rise to unique new features like zero fees, infinite scalability, fast transactions, secure data transfer and many others. IOTA is initially focused on serving as the backbone of the Internet-of-Things (IoT). IOTA is a cryptocurrency that has no transaction fees and requires no miners in order to process transactions. It does, however, require some computational power to submit a transaction, making it perfect for machines to use as a currency and distributed communication protocol for the Internet of Things “IoT”. The main purpose of IOTA is to solve some of the major problems with Blockchain technology, the main one being that the bigger the Blockchain (such as Bitcoin), the slower, more expensive, and also more restricting it is to actually transfer funds. Another issue with the Blockchain is size, as more and more Blocks are added, the longer the Blockchain gets, and therefore the less amount of computers are able to mine it. Right now BTC is over 150GB long, and so is ETH. If this size increased tenfold, very few computers would be able to mine it at all. Making them relatively centralized (the top 2 Bitcoin mining pools own about 56% of hashing power).