$ETH

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It was proposed in 2013 by Vitalik Buterin and officially launched in 2015.

Here are some key points about Ethereum (ETH):

Smart Contracts: Ethereum introduced the concept of smart contracts—self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code.

Ether (ETH): This is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network. It's used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network.

Ethereum 2.0 / Proof of Stake: Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) in September 2022 through an upgrade known as "The Merge." This made the network more energy-efficient.

DeFi and NFTs: Ethereum is the foundation for many innovations in decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine): This is the environment where Ethereum executes smart contracts. It enables developers to build decentralized apps using languages like Solidity.

Ethereum continues to evolve, aiming for greater scalability, security, and decentralization. It's one of the most important platforms in the blockchain ecosystem today.