$BTC The symbol \$ETH refers to Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin. Here's a quick breakdown:

---

### šŸ”¹ What is \$ETH (Ethereum)?

* Ethereum is a blockchain platform that supports smart contractsā€”self-executing agreements coded into the blockchain.

* Its native cryptocurrency is Ether (ETH), used to pay for transactions, smart contract operations, and gas fees on the network.

---

### šŸ”ø Key Features

* Smart Contracts & dApps: Ethereum powers thousands of decentralized apps (dApps), from DeFi (decentralized finance) platforms like Uniswap to NFT marketplaces like OpenSea.

* Proof of Stake (PoS): Since *The Merge* in September 2022, Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, reducing energy usage by \~99%.

* Ethereum 2.0 / Upgrades: Ongoing improvements (like "Dencun" in 2024) aim to reduce fees, improve scalability (via rollups), and make the network faster and cheaper.

---

### šŸ“ˆ \$ETH in Markets

* Ticker Symbol: ETH

* Use Cases: Paying gas fees, staking for yield, collateral in DeFi, NFTs

* Volatility: Like other cryptocurrencies, \$ETH is highly volatile and influenced by:

* Tech upgrades and network usage

* Regulatory developments

* Broader crypto and macroeconomic trends

---