$ETH
ETH, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, is one of the most important digital assets in the world of cryptocurrency. Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and a team of developers, Ethereum was created to expand the possibilities of blockchain technology beyond just peer-to-peer transactions. Unlike Bitcoin, which is primarily designed as a digital currency, Ethereum serves as a decentralized platform that enables smart contracts — self-executing agreements coded directly into the blockchain — and decentralized applications (dApps). $ETH acts as the "fuel" that powers these operations, being used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network.
Over time, Ethereum has undergone major upgrades to improve its scalability, security, and sustainability. One of the most significant changes was the shift from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) with the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade, completed in 2022. This move drastically reduced Ethereum’s energy consumption and allowed users to stake their ETH to help secure the network in exchange for rewards. $ETH is not just valuable as an asset for trading; it is also critical for the growing sectors of decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and the broader Web3 ecosystem. As blockchain technology continues to evolve, etherium remains at the center of innovation, making it a vital part of the future digital economy.