$ETH Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized blockchain platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others, Ethereum introduced a new level of programmability beyond Bitcoin’s capabilities. Its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network. One of Ethereum’s key innovations is the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which allows anyone to run code on the blockchain securely.

In 2022, Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) in an upgrade known as "The Merge," significantly reducing its energy consumption and laying the foundation for future scalability improvements like sharding. Ethereum plays a central role in the DeFi (Decentralized Finance), NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and Web3 ecosystems. As the most actively used blockchain, Ethereum continues to lead innovation in the crypto space, despite facing competition and scalability challenges.