$BNB Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). Founded in 2014 by Vitalik Buterin, ETH is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ethereum's platform allows developers to build and deploy self-executing contracts with the help of Ether, the platform's native cryptocurrency. ETH has become a hub for DeFi (decentralized finance) applications, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and gaming, with a strong and active developer community driving its growth and innovation.