$ETH Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others. It enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts—self-executing programs that run without intermediaries. Unlike Bitcoin, which focuses on digital currency, Ethereum supports decentralized applications (dApps) across various industries like finance, gaming, and supply chains. Its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), is used to pay for transactions and computational services on the network. Ethereum transitioned to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism with the Merge in 2022, reducing its energy consumption. It is a cornerstone of the Web3 ecosystem, powering decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
