Ethereum is the world's leading programmable blockchain — a global platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It enables everything from decentralized finance (DeFi) to NFTs and Web3 services. ETH (also called Ether) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network. It is used to pay transaction fees (called "gas"), interact with smart contracts, and participate in the Ethereum ecosystem.
— Deep Dive
Ethereum was created by Vitalik Buterin and launched in 2015 with a bold idea: a programmable blockchain. While Bitcoin was designed primarily as digital currency, Ethereum was built as a global computing platform — allowing anyone to write and run programs directly on the blockchain.
Ethereum uses a combination of technologies to power its network:
Adopted in 2022 via "The Merge," this consensus mechanism replaced energy-intensive mining with staking, reducing Ethereum's energy consumption by over 99%.
Self-executing programs stored on the blockchain that automatically enforce rules and agreements — without any intermediary.
A computing environment that executes smart contracts consistently and securely across all nodes in the network.
Thanks to its programmability, Ethereum powers a vast ecosystem:
DeFi Platforms NFT Marketplaces Web3 Apps Stablecoins DAOs Tokenized Assets
— The Currency
ETH is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network — powering every transaction and interaction on the platform.
Every transaction on Ethereum requires a small fee in ETH called "gas." These fees compensate validators who process and secure the network.
ETH holders can stake their tokens to help secure the network and potentially earn staking rewards. A minimum of 32 ETH is required for a validator node.
ETH is the primary currency for buying NFTs, accessing DeFi protocols, and interacting with thousands of decentralized applications.
Send ETH anywhere in the world at any time — without banks, borders, or intermediaries.