$ETH

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized blockchain platform launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others. Unlike Bitcoin, which focuses primarily on digital currency, Ethereum enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts—self-executing programs that run on the blockchain. ETH is the native cryptocurrency used to pay for transactions and computational services on the network. Ethereum supports a wide range of decentralized applications (dApps), including finance (DeFi), NFTs, gaming, and more. It transitioned from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake through the Merge in 2022, significantly reducing its energy consumption. As the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, ETH plays a critical role in the broader Web3 and blockchain ecosystem, powering innovation and decentralization across industries.