NEO is a blockchain platform and cryptocurrency designed to build a scalable network of decentralized applications. The base asset of the NEO blockchain is the non divisible NEO token which generates GAS tokens that can be used to pay for transaction fees generated by applications on the network.[4] NEO supports a wide variety of commonly used programming languages such as Javascript and C++ by using a customized version of Docker called neoVM that compiles the code into a secure executable environment.

Since IOTA is a relatively new project, there aren’t any real user-friendly wallets to choose from, so many people are storing IOTA on exchanges. Though many beginners who don’t have a solid understanding of the technical details are opting to do this, it doesn’t mean that storing IOTA on an exchange is a good idea. Individuals who can set up a desktop wallet should use that or print out a <abbr rel="tooltip" title="A type of physical Bitcoin wallet. Instead of keeping the private keys on a piece of hardware, it is written down on a piece of paper. ">paper wallet</abbr> in order to secure their coins.

IOTA is a cryptocurrency that focuses on the internet of things, or IoT. IOTA uses a ledger called Tangle where there are no fees for transactions, thereby making micro and nano-transactions possible, allowing devices to transact with one another.

Since you contribute computing power to the network when you submit a transaction, the cost of using the network is only as great as the electricity needed to verify two other transactions on IOTA. The Tangle allows IOTA to operate fee-free, and it means the network is even more distributed than a blockchain network. With blockchain, the network is distributed among the miners on the blockchain. With the Tangle, the network is distributed among every participating node on the network.

The absence of fees is critical to IOTA’s mission of servicing IoT devices. These devices will often be transacting at fractions of a penny with high frequency. Any fees charged on such small transactions would make micropayments unfeasible. In order to serve as the backbone for the M2M economy, IOTA has to be free to use.

NEM’s blockchain platform was designed and coded from the ground up for scale and speed. NEM’s permissioned private blockchain delivers industry-leading transaction rates for internal ledgers. And its revolutionary consensus mechanism and the Supernode program ensure that NEM’s open, public blockchain can grow without ever compromising throughput or stability.

=Get paid in XEM
Since XEM and NEM are still so young, the value is still relatively low and you might be able to get XEM at a good price. If, for example, you had been paid US$90 in XEM in April 2017, you would have been given 3,000 XEM. In September, those 3,000 XEM would amount to US$900 if sold. Getting paid in XEM could be a good step, not only for the future of the network but also to build your wallet’s value. If the value of the coin increases, so will the value of whatever amount of XEM you hold. Remember, though, that there’s no guarantee that the coin will gain value.

=Get Vested
As more users join the NEM network and start using XEM, another way to make some extra, free money is to begin harvesting. As explained above, harvesting allows you to earn small amounts of XEM for helping to maintain the system’s security and accountability. But to do this, you will need to have a minimum of 10,000 XEM vested. At the current value of the coin (September 2017), that’s US$3,000, so it’s no easy feat if you’re looking to simply purchase the coins from an exchange.

As the time of writing this in September 2017, NEM and its XEM coin are still very much in the early phases of the platform. While NEM has been adopted by Mijin, XEM is only currently being used to pay other members of NEM and to pay transaction fees on the NEM platform.

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