Ethereum ($ETH ) is a decentralized blockchain platform launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and other developers. While Bitcoin was designed mainly as digital money, Ethereum was created to do much more. It allows developers to build and run smart contracts—self-executing programs that work without intermediaries. These smart contracts power decentralized applications (dApps) used in finance, gaming, and digital art.

Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network. It is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services, often called gas fees. In 2022, Ethereum transitioned from a proof-of-work system to proof of stake, which significantly reduced its energy consumption and improved efficiency.

Ethereum plays a major role in technologies like decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Although it faces challenges such as network congestion and fluctuating fees, Ethereum remains one of the most influential and widely used blockchain platforms in the world.$BNB $BTC