$ETH Ethereum (\$ETH) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain system that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). Launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others, it goes beyond simple cryptocurrency transactions by allowing developers to create programmable agreements without intermediaries. Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency used to pay for transactions and computational services on the Ethereum network. With the transition to Ethereum 2.0 and a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, it aims to improve scalability, energy efficiency, and security. Ethereum plays a central role in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and other Web3 innovations.