$ETH Ethereum (ETH) is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin. Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum introduced smart contracts, allowing developers to create decentralized applications (dApps) that operate without intermediaries. Ether (ETH), the network's native token, is used to pay for transactions and computational services. In 2022, Ethereum completed its transition from a proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism through "The Merge," drastically reducing its energy consumption by over 99.95% (Ethereum.org). Ethereum continues to be a major platform for innovations in decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and Web3 technologies, driving the future of digital economies.