Ethereum Classic is the original protocol of Ethereum. As a result of the massive hack on the Ethereum-based DAO, in which around 14% of all ETH in circulation were stolen, a hard fork was proposed to return the stolen funds to their owners. This caused an ideological split revolving around the question of changing previous transactions in the blockchain. Some Ethereum holders rejected the hard fork, and decided to keep using the original protocol, based on the principle that the blockchain is immutable, and cannot be changed.

Telcoin is an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency that will be distributed by mobile network operators. Telcoin (TEL) plans on working with national telecom operators to distribute their currency. They hope that this distribution model will provide greater financial inclusion to un-banked communities, and will encourage cryptocurrency adoption. This is a similar strategy as MPesa, the mobile payment network created by SafariCom, that uses the telecom's provider's existing infrastructure to allow users to easily make payments with their mobile phones. Telecoin sees their platform as a complement to existing mobile money systems that will help drive cryptocurrency adoption.

Ripple is a real-time settlement and remittance network that is designed for the banking industry. Its settlement infrastructure technology has been adopted by a growing list of financial institutions looking to leverage the benefits of distributed ledgers. Ripple's real-time settlement network connects banks and enables cross border settlements and transactions in real-time. The current settlement infrastructure requires many intermediaries, and performing transactions take time and cost money. Ripple provides the underlying infrastructure for banks, and enables these transactions to be executed directly at almost no cost.