$ETH

Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform that enables the creation and execution of smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps). It was proposed by Vitalik Buterin in 2013 and launched in 2015. Unlike Bitcoin, which primarily functions as digital money, Ethereum allows developers to build and deploy self-executing contracts without intermediaries.

Its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), is used for transactions and computational services (gas fees) on the network. Ethereum has undergone several upgrades, including Ethereum 2.0 (The Merge), which transitioned it from a Proof of Work (PoW) to a more energy-efficient Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. It is widely used in decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and various blockchain applications.