Ethereum (ETH)
Launch: July 30, 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and co.
Ownership: Open-source; led by Ethereum Foundation.
Highs/lows: ~$1.40 in 2015 → nearly $4K in recent rally; dipped below $1K during crypto winters 2018/2022
Key factors:
Smart contracts & DeFi/NFT ecosystem core .
Merge to PoS significantly slashed energy use
Upgrade cycles (Layer‑2s, scalability) continue to shape investor sentiment .