$ETH

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and a team of developers, Ethereum introduced the concept of a programmable blockchain, going beyond Bitcoin’s functionality as just digital money.

The native cryptocurrency of Ethereum is called Ether (ETH), which is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network. Ethereum has been instrumental in the growth of decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and other blockchain-based innovations.

In September 2022, Ethereum transitioned from a proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism through an upgrade called "The Merge." This significantly reduced the network’s energy consumption and paved the way for future scalability improvements like sharding.

Ethereum continues to evolve through ongoing upgrades, collectively known as Ethereum 2.0. These aim to improve security, scalability, and sustainability. The Ethereum ecosystem is one of the largest in the blockchain space, with thousands of developers and projects relying on it.

ETH is traded on most major cryptocurrency exchanges and is often seen as the second-most important cryptocurrency after Bitcoin in terms of market capitalization and influence.