Coin

A coin is the native asset of its own blockchain, used to pay fees, reward participants, and secure the network—Bitcoins BTC and Ethereums ETH are examples. Unlike tokens, which are issued by smart contracts on top of a chain, a coin is built into the base protocol and typically follows the networks own issuance rules.

A common misconception is that “coin” and “token” are interchangeable; the difference is whether the asset is a chains native unit or a contract-issued one. Terminology varies in practice, so everyday usage is not always strict.