Normally, we cannot talk about cryptocurrencies in general but we need to explain what kind of tokens1 we are referring to. The main2 types are:
Store of value: buy to sell, e.g. BTC, to avoid central banks monetary policies.
Platform: pay for transactions, e.g. gas fees in Ethereum.
Governance: become a DAO stakeholder, similar to stocks, e.g. CRV.
Security: tokenized assets, e.g. gold for PAXG.
Utility: exchanged for services, like coupons, e.g. Golem, iExec,…
We may find more types in the future, or tokens pretending not to be one of the current types3.
Each token has its own tokenomics4, normally closer to other tokens in the same category.
I will be referring to tokens and coins as simply “tokens” because coins can be tokenized anyway.
You can find other classifications over the Internet. I like this classification from u/FriedGator. This post is easier to find.
Tokenomics: forces driving supply and demand.