$ETH Sure! Here's an expanded overview of Ethereum ($ETH) as of April 19, 2025:

Current Price and Market Overview

Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin, is currently trading at $1,597.86 USD, showing a modest +0.17% daily change. The day's trading has seen a high of $1,607.01 and a low of $1,581.08, indicating some mild volatility but overall stability in the short term.

The market capitalization remains strong, supported by a circulating supply of around 120.7 million ETH. This supply has been largely stable since the Ethereum Merge in 2022, which transitioned the network from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), effectively curbing inflation and making ETH a deflationary asset in some periods.

Why Ethereum Matters

Ethereum is more than just a cryptocurrency. It's a blockchain platform that enables:

Smart Contracts: Self-executing contracts with coded rules.

Decentralized Applications (dApps): Apps that run without central control.

DeFi Ecosystems: Protocols for lending, borrowing, and trading without banks.

NFTs: Most non-fungible tokens run on Ethereum standards (like ERC-721).

This versatility makes Ethereum the foundational layer of Web3, the next-gen internet built on decentralization and blockchain.

Upcoming Developments

Ethereum is preparing for the Pectra upgrade, expected later this year. This is a combination of two roadmap upgrades:

Prague (execution layer upgrade) and

Electra (consensus layer upgrade)

Pectra will include improvements such as:

Account abstraction (smart contract wallets