$ETH Ethereum has evolved significantly since Vitalik Buterin proposed it in 2013, launching in 2015. Initially conceived as a platform beyond just transactions, it pioneered smart contracts, enabling decentralized applications (dApps) and the ERC-20 token standard, which fueled the ICO boom.

The present Ethereum is marked by its transition to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism with "The Merge" in 2022, aiming for greater energy efficiency and scalability. It remains the second-largest cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of approximately $216 billion and a circulating supply of around 120.72 million ETH. Currently trading around $1,795, it has seen a 1.15% increase in the last 24 hours but a -10.05% decrease over the past month.

Looking ahead, Ethereum's future focuses on further scaling through layer-2 solutions and sharding to increase transaction throughput and reduce gas fees. The ongoing development aims to solidify its position as the foundational layer for Web3 and a global value layer, potentially integrating with technologies like AI agents to drive further on-chain activity.