$ETH

Ethereum itself doesn't "make money" in the traditional sense, but the network and its participants earn through transaction fees (gas) and rewards for validating transactions (staking) using its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH). Ethereum uses a "proof-of-stake" (PoS) consensus mechanism, where users who "stake" their ETH can earn rewards for validating transactions and contributing to the network's security. Ethereum transitioned from a proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism in September 2022, known as "The Merge", which aimed to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum network. It's used to pay transaction fees, incentivize network participants, and is the medium of exchange for transactions and smart contract interactions.