$ETH Bitcoin’s the digital gold; Ethereum’s the digital engine. In 2025, Bitcoin holds a store-of-value crown, while Ethereum’s smart contracts run 80% of DeFi—$100 billion locked in protocols like Uniswap. Ethereum’s gas fees, though lower post-sharding, still irk users compared to Bitcoin’s simpler transactions. Bitcoin maximalists call ETH centralized (thanks to its developer influence); Ethereum fans counter it’s more versatile. Both thrive, but Ethereum’s use cases make it the backbone of Web3.

4. Ethereum’s NFT Legacy: Boom, Bust, and Beyond

Ethereum sparked the NFT craze—CryptoPunks and Bored Apes minted millions in 2021. By 2025, the hype’s cooled, but the tech endures. OpenSea, built on Ethereum, still dominates NFT trading, though volume’s down from its $2.7 billion monthly peak. Critics say it’s a bubble popped; supporters argue NFTs are evolving—gaming and digital identity now lead. Ethereum’s flexibility keeps it central, but rising Layer-2 adoption hints the next NFT wave might not be all on its mainnet.

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