Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink (LINK) is a decentralized oracle network that enables smart contracts on blockchains to securely interact with real-world data, events, and payments.
Launch: The Multi-Collateral Dai system was launched in November 2019.
Smart Contract Automation: Chainlink enables smart contracts to perform actions based on off-chain data, such as automatically triggering payments or executing transactions once a certain event happens, like weather conditions or sports results.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens): Chainlink’s oracles are also used for verifying the real-world value of NFTs, such as linking tokenized real-world assets to blockchain-based assets or providing dynamic data to NFTs, like rarity or real-time stats in gaming.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Chainlink provides price feeds for various DeFi protocols to ensure accurate data for financial products like lending, borrowing, and derivatives.
Google Cloud: Chainlink partnered with Google Cloud to provide developers with secure access to APIs and data feeds via Google Cloud’s infrastructure. SWIFT: Exploring use cases for cross-border payments and financial services.
Uniswap (UNI)
Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol built on the ETH blockchain. It facilitates the automated trading of decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens.
Launch: The protocol was launched in Nov 2018, but the UNI token in Sep 2020.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): Uniswap supports NFT-related token swaps, enhancing decentralized NFT trading and integrating with related projects.
Decentralized Exchange (DEX): Uniswap enables direct trading of ERC-20 tokens via liquidity pools, eliminating the need for centralized intermediaries.
DeFi Protocol Integrations: Uniswap is integrated into numerous DeFi protocols, offering liquidity and token swapping services for decentralized financial applications.
Ethereum Foundation solidify Uniswap’s role within the Ethereum ecosystem. Additionally, Uniswap’s liquidity pools are integrated into various DeFi protocols, aggregators, and wallet services, including Metamask and Aave.
Binance Coin (BNB)
Binance Coin (BNB) is the native cryptocurrency of the Binance ecosystem. It was designed primarily to facilitate discounted trading fees on the Binance exchange.
Launch: April 2019, marking its migration from the ETH network to Binance Chain.
Payment of Fees on Binance: BNB is primarily used to pay transaction fees on the Binance platform, offering discounts to users who choose to use it instead of other cryptocurrencies.
Payments on Binance Smart Chain (BSC): The cryptocurrency is essential for paying gas fees on Binance Smart Chain, a high-performance blockchain network used for smart contracts, dApps, and other decentralized applications.
Trading and Staking on Binance DEX: BNB facilitates decentralized trading on Binance DEX and can be used for staking on various platforms, earning rewards for users who contribute liquidity to the network.
BNB has been expanding its usability beyond the Binance ecosystem. For instance, it can be used for travel bookings on platforms like Travala.com and Trip.io, and for payments on services like BitTorrent and Canva.