$ETH

Ethereum is a decentralized global software platform powered by blockchain technology. It's renowned for its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), which fuels transactions and incentivizes network participants. Beyond just a digital currency, Ethereum enables developers to build and deploy a vast array of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts, which are self-executing agreements.

Ethereum's transition to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism (known as Ethereum 2.0 or the Merge) aims to improve scalability, security, and energy efficiency. It's a foundational layer for much of the emerging Web3 ecosystem, including DeFi (Decentralized Finance) and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).