Homogeneity and heterogeneity of cryptocurrencies

Abstract

Thousands of cryptocurrencies have been issued and publicly exchanged since Bitcoin was invented in 2008. The total cryptocurrency market value exceeds 300 billion US dollars as of 2019. This paper analyzes the prices, volumes, blockchain transactions, coin difficulties and public opinion popularities of 3607 actively exchanged cryptocurrencies. We aim to reveal and explain the homogeneity, i.e., the strong correlation of market performance, and the heterogeneity, i.e., the imbalance of popularities and sophistications, of the cryptocurrencies.