$ETH **Ethereum (ETH)**

Ethereum (ETH) is the second largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin in terms of market capitalization. It was launched in 2015 by **Vitalik Buterin**, and unlike Bitcoin, it is not limited to being just a digital currency; it provides a platform for **smart contracts** and decentralized applications (DApps).

ETH operates on **blockchain** technology that supports the creation of various applications in decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). ETH is also used to pay transaction fees (gas) on the network.