What exactly is a token? Understanding the core difference between tokens and coins

Why Do We Need to Differentiate Between Token and Coin

In the early development of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and others used the term Coin, with the two concepts clearly distinguished. However, after the emergence of Ethereum, the situation became more complex—Coin and Token began to be used interchangeably, and in Chinese, both are translated as “代幣” or “加密貨幣,” leading many investors to have blurred definitions of these two. Understanding what a Token is and its fundamental difference from a Coin is crucial for crypto asset investment.

What Does Token Mean? A Deep Dive into this Core Concept

Token, translated into Chinese as pass, token, or coin, is a digital representation of specific rights, certificates, or other forms of assets that can be traded, transferred, or exchanged on its corresponding blockchain.

The emergence of Tokens is closely related to Ethereum. In 2015, Ethereum introduced the ERC-20 token standard, allowing ordinary developers to issue their own Tokens on a public chain without building a dedicated blockchain. To date, Ethereum remains the blockchain with the largest issuance of Tokens.

Simply put, Token is a general term and does not refer to a specific token name. To quickly identify what falls under the category of Tokens, it can be understood as non-native tokens of a public chain, including DeFi ecosystem tokens, Layer-2 protocol tokens, NFT-related tokens (such as APE, SAND), and others.

The Three Main Categories of Tokens and Their Uses

According to the classification framework of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), Tokens can be divided into three types:

Payment Tokens
Primarily aimed at enabling secure, efficient, low-cost payment functions; stablecoins are the most typical example.

Utility Tokens
Designed to provide access passes for various applications. Most ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum belong to this category. These tokens grant holders the right to use specific services.

Asset Tokens
Representing rights to projects or services, holding such tokens means becoming a participant in the project and enjoying potential value appreciation, similar to stocks. It is worth noting that crypto holders usually do not own the project’s equity or have dividend rights.

In practical applications, a single Token often exhibits features of two or even three categories simultaneously, making it difficult to classify strictly into one type.

The Fundamental Difference Between Token and Coin

The core distinction lies in the blockchain they belong to.

Coins have their own independent blockchain. Bitcoin (BTC) operates on the Bitcoin blockchain, and Ether (ETH) runs on the Ethereum blockchain—they are native assets of these networks. Tokens, on the other hand, are built on existing blockchain ecosystems, constructed on the infrastructure of existing blockchains, which often limits their ecosystem applications to the parent chain.

Functional Level Differences

Token Investment vs. Coin Investment: Which Is Better?

They are not mutually exclusive but are closely integrated parts of the ecosystem.

If we understand Coin as the Layer-1 infrastructure layer, then Token is the application layer of cryptocurrencies. The former solves infrastructure issues, indirectly meeting user needs; the latter develops applications or services on this foundation, directly addressing specific user demands.

The advantage of Tokens is their stronger application scalability. Compared to Coins, whose value is mostly limited to infrastructure development and often cannot pivot if they fail (e.g., the development difficulties of Quantum Chain QTUM or BTM), Tokens can be flexibly launched for various applications based on market demand. MakerDAO’s RWA business is a typical example, demonstrating the diversification potential of the Token ecosystem.

Volatility differences require special attention. Generally, Tokens are more volatile than Coins, with tokens like UNI, SNX, MKR showing significantly larger price swings than BTC or ETH, especially during bull markets. This creates more opportunities for short-term traders but also entails higher risks—liquidation risks are more easily triggered.

Two Main Ways to Invest in Tokens

Spot Trading: Holding Actual Assets Directly

Spot trading involves complete transactions based on actual assets. For example, if UNI is priced at $3, buying one UNI for $3 grants ownership. This method is straightforward but requires caution against fake tokens with the same name.

Case: Suppose Team A issues a valuable token called ABC, and Team B immediately issues a counterfeit ABC token with the same name but no value. Unaware investors who buy the fake may face difficulties in selling. The way to prevent this is to verify the token’s contract address via the official website or blockchain explorer to ensure you are purchasing the correct Token.

Margin Trading: Leveraging to Amplify Gains and Risks

Margin trading is a non-full payment method, allowing traders to open positions without paying the full amount. Using 10x leverage on UNI at $3, you only need $0.3 to open a position of 1 UNI. Most margin trading (CFDs, USDT-margined contracts) does not involve actual tokens, thus avoiding fake tokens, but introduces liquidation risk.

Risk Management Tips: Token volatility is much higher than Coin, especially for new tokens which can fluctuate wildly. Traders should strictly control position sizes, and leverage should ideally not exceed 10x. Even though daily price swings of 10% for BTC are increasingly rare, tokens often experience such volatility, making liquidation risks significant.

Choosing a Safe and Reliable Exchange Is Crucial

Whether using spot or margin trading, the first step is to open an account on a secure and regulated exchange. Platform security directly affects fund safety and is a top priority when investing in Tokens. After selecting a trustworthy exchange, the operation process is relatively simple and intuitive, but only if the platform itself is reliable.

As an integral part of the crypto asset world, Token investments come with both opportunities and risks. Understanding what Token means, mastering investment methods, and choosing trading strategies suited to your risk tolerance are the foundations for long-term profits.