Article

Ethereum

August 22, 2026 · Aditya Gupta

Crypto & Blockchain

Ethereum (ETH) is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and the leading smart contract platform — programmable blockchain enabling decentralized applications (dApps), DeFi protocols, NFTs, and other tokens. Created by Vitalik Buterin and launched 2015. Switched from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus in 2022 ('The Merge'), reducing energy consumption by 99%+ and changing ETH supply dynamics. ETH is used to pay transaction fees ('gas') and stake for network security. Layer 2 networks (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) provide cheaper transactions on top of Ethereum. The platform underpins most of DeFi and NFT activity.

Investing

Related terms

Back to the finance glossary