$ETH

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that features its own cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH). It is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin.

Here's a breakdown of what ETH is and its current status:

What is Ethereum?

* Decentralized Blockchain: Ethereum operates on a peer-to-peer network that maintains a distributed ledger.

* Smart Contracts: A key feature of Ethereum is its smart contract functionality. These are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. This allows for the creation of decentralized applications (dApps) without the need for intermediaries.

* Native Cryptocurrency (Ether - ETH): ETH is the currency used to pay for transactions and computational services on the Ethereum network (often referred to as "gas"). It also serves as a store of value and an investment asset.

* Proof-of-Stake (PoS): Ethereum transitioned from a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake (PoS) with "The Merge."