$ETH $ETH (Ethereum) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, a decentralized, open-source platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others, Ethereum has become the foundation for much of the DeFi, NFT, and Web3 ecosystem.

Key features of ETH:

Used to pay gas fees for transactions and smart contract execution

Staked to secure the network under its Proof-of-Stake consensus (since the Merge in 2022)

Highly programmable, enabling tokens (like ERC-20), DAOs, and more

Deflationary tendencies post-EIP-1559, as some ETH is burned with each transaction

ETH is both a utility asset and a store of value in the crypto world.