Cryptos with a mission: The projects that have set out to change the world
We all know that cryptocurrencies are not all cut from the same cloth. They might seem more or less the same to the untrained eye, but on a closer inspection, the discrepancies become rather glaring. The market offers quite a varied assortment of projects that differ not only in trading price and market cap, but also in terms of technical makeup and, most importantly, purpose (or lack thereof).
Most people tend to think of digital currencies as assets that can only be used for trading and investing, since that’s what they’re best known for. While that may be the case for some cryptos (see meme coins), it doesn’t apply to all. Many cryptocurrencies have been launched with the intention of driving positive change by addressing real-world problems through the solutions they deliver. The more useful and innovative a project is, the more chances it has to stand out from its peers and appreciate over time. This means that digital coins derive their value, among other things, from their practical applications.
That’s why it’s important to dig a little deeper and learn about a crypto’s core features and mission before deciding if it’s a good pick. For example, if a project like Worldcoin has caught your attention, platforms like Binance can provide real-time information about the Worldcoin price but also offer insights into its origin story and underlying mission. This can help you gain a better idea about its worth and potential evolution.
That being said, let’s check out some of the most trailblazing cryptocurrencies and see what their goal is and how they intend to create meaningful change in the world.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin’s birth was not the result of a random experiment. Its mysterious inventor, known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, made it abundantly clear in the project’s whitepaper that Bitcoin was created to function as an alternative means of payment that is free from fiat’s limitations and shortcomings. With the help of blockchain technology, Nakamoto managed to develop the first practical decentralized peer-to-peer electronic cash system, which enables users to transfer value without the intervention of a central authority or intermediary.
Over the years, Bitcoin strayed from its initial purpose. Challenges related to volatility and regulations made it impossible for the virtual coin to be adopted on a large scale and used as a mainstream payment method. However, in recent years, an increasing number of companies and organizations have started accepting BTC as a payment option, encouraged by regulatory developments and an overall friendlier environment for crypto.
People can now pay with Bitcoin for a growing variety of products and services, such as luxury goods, cars, video games, travel, and accommodation, and so on. BTC is particularly appealing for international transactions, due to its speed and borderless nature, or in developing countries with large unbanked populations, where traditional financial services are slow or limited
In the meantime, Bitcoin developed additional use cases and gained popularity as a store of value and investment tool, thanks to its rapid appreciation and the ability to bounce back and trend upwards even after long periods of decline.
Ethereum
Ethereum is among the few early-day crypto projects that didn’t try to copy Bitcoin, but instead strived to improve on its concept and bring something new to the market. It achieved that by integrating smart contract functionality into its blockchain and popularizing this program type.
The innovative feature allows Ethereum to be more than a platform that facilitates peer-to-peer transactions. Many describe it as a programmable blockchain because it allows users to take advantage of its infrastructure to run smart contracts and build all sorts of decentralized applications (dApps). As a result, Ethereum has become a major contributor to the development of the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, powering an expanding range of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), stablecoins, decentralized exchanges, and tokenized assets.
Worldcoin
When everyone thought that cryptocurrencies had left no stone unturned and could no longer surprise us with new use cases, Worldcoin came along and proved us all wrong. This is a very unique crypto project that introduces an advanced method for digital identity verification, an aspect that requires increased focus in these AI-dominated times, when it’s becoming more and more difficult to distinguish humans from bots.
The solution that Worldcoin proposes involves the use of biometrics, more specifically, iris scans, to help users prove their humanness. The iris structure is unique to each individual, just like fingerprints, so Worldcoin uses Orbs, specially designed imaging devices, to scan people’s irises and convert the scans into unique identifiers, known as World IDs, that one can use as a digital passport in the online space.
Every person who agrees to take part in the project and become a World ID holder also gets rewarded with a certain amount of WLD tokens. That way, Worldcoin addresses two important issues at the same time: that of creating a reliable system for online authentication, and ensuring financial inclusion by offering access to a global digital economy.
Ripple
Some of you may know Ripple as the crypto company that has been involved in a years-long legal dispute with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But beyond the high-profile case, which concluded in 2025, Ripple is also the creator of a highly innovative blockchain network, the XRP Ledger, and its native coin, XRP, which play a key role in the functioning of its cross-border payment empire.
Ripple’s blockchain-enabled payment services are used by a large number of banks, payment providers, and other financial institutions from across the world that get to enjoy superior speed, lower costs, and smooth integration with existing infrastructure.
These are certainly not the only crypto projects driven by bold goals. But their clear purpose and missions give rise to interesting use cases and make them stand out as unique players in their field.