$ETH Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized blockchain platform that allows for the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It was proposed by Vitalik Buterin in 2013 and launched in 2015. Unlike Bitcoin, which focuses on being digital money, Ethereum allows for programming and executing code within its network, without relying on intermediaries. Its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), is used to pay for transactions and execute contracts. Ethereum has been key in the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In 2022, it migrated from proof of work to proof of stake to be more energy efficient.