$ETH
Ethereum ($ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, an open-source, decentralized platform renowned for its smart contract functionality. Launched in 2015, Ethereum has become the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, playing a pivotal role in the development of decentralized applications (dApps) and the broader Web3 ecosystem.
Its smart contracts enable developers to build a wide array of applications, from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) serves as the runtime environment for these smart contracts, ensuring secure and automated execution.
Recent upgrades, such as the Merge in 2022, which transitioned Ethereum to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, have significantly reduced its energy consumption and paved the way for further scalability improvements. As a foundational technology for numerous blockchain-based projects, $ETH's value is closely tied to the growth and adoption of its underlying network and the innovative applications built upon it.