Ethereum's story began in 2013 when Vitalik Buterin, a 19-year-old programmer, published the Ethereum whitepaper. He envisioned a blockchain that could go beyond digital currency, enabling developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. Buterin's idea was to create a global, decentralized computer that could support a wide range of use cases-
Keys:-
- 2013: Buterin publishes the Ethereum whitepaper, outlining a programmable blockchain.
- 2014: Ethereum team launches a successful crowdsale, raising $18 million in Bitcoin.
- July 2015: Ethereum officially launches with the "Frontier" iteration, using a proof-of-work consensus mechanism.
- 2016: The DAO hack leads to a hard fork, resulting in Ethereum Classic.
- 2022: Ethereum transitions to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism with "The Merge.
Buterin's vision and leadership have shaped Ethereum into a leading blockchain platform, supporting thousands of dApps and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.