$ETH Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized blockchain platform launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others. Unlike Bitcoin, which focuses mainly on digital payments, Ethereum enables the creation of smart contracts—self-executing programs that run when conditions are met. These contracts power decentralized applications (dApps), covering areas like finance, gaming, and identity. Ethereum introduced the concept of programmable blockchain, allowing developers to build complex, trustless systems without intermediaries. ETH, the native cryptocurrency, is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network. With its transition to Ethereum 2.0, the network adopted a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, aiming to reduce energy consumption and improve scalability. Ethereum plays a central role in decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), making it a foundational layer for Web3 innovation. Despite network congestion and high fees at times, Ethereum remains one of the most widely used and influential blockchain platforms in the world.