What is Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum (ETH) Basic Introduction

Ethereum (ETH) Profile

What is Ethereum (ETH) Trading

Ethereum (ETH) trading refers to buying and selling the token in the cryptocurrency market. On MEXC, users can trade ETH through different markets depending on your investment goals and risk preferences. The two most common methods are spot trading and futures trading.

Ethereum (ETH) Spot Trading

Crypto spot trading is directly buying or selling ETH at the current market price. Once the trade is completed, you own the actual ETH tokens, which can be held, transferred, or sold later. Spot trading is the most straightforward way to get exposure to ETH without leverage.

How to Acquire Ethereum (ETH)

You can easily obtain Ethereum (ETH) on MEXC using a variety of payment methods such as credit card, debit card, bank transfer, Paypal, and many more! Learn how to buy tokens at MEXC now!

Deeper Insights into Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum (ETH) History and Background

Ethereum History and Background

Ethereum was conceived in late 2013 by Vitalik Buterin, a young Russian-Canadian programmer who was deeply involved in the Bitcoin community. Buterin recognized the limitations of Bitcoin's scripting language and envisioned a more flexible blockchain platform that could support complex applications beyond simple transactions.

The Genesis of Ethereum

In November 2013, Buterin published the Ethereum whitepaper, proposing a decentralized platform that would enable developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications. The concept was revolutionary, introducing the idea of a "world computer" that could execute code in a trustless, decentralized manner.

The Ethereum project officially began in early 2014 when Buterin was joined by co-founders including Gavin Wood, Jeffrey Wilcke, and Anthony Di Iorio. Wood authored the Ethereum Yellow Paper, which provided the technical specifications for the Ethereum Virtual Machine, while Wilcke led the development of the Go-Ethereum client.

Funding and Development

In July 2014, Ethereum conducted one of the first major cryptocurrency crowdsales, raising over 31,000 Bitcoin worth approximately 18 million dollars at the time. This funding enabled the team to develop the platform and establish the Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Ethereum's development.

Launch and Early Challenges

Ethereum's mainnet launched on July 30, 2015, marking the beginning of the smart contract era in blockchain technology. The platform introduced Ether as its native cryptocurrency, used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the network.

However, Ethereum faced its first major crisis in June 2016 with the DAO hack. The Decentralized Autonomous Organization, built on Ethereum, was exploited due to a smart contract vulnerability, resulting in the theft of approximately 3.6 million Ether. This incident led to a controversial hard fork, splitting the community and creating Ethereum Classic as a separate blockchain.

Evolution and Impact

Despite early challenges, Ethereum became the foundation for numerous innovations including decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and decentralized applications. Today, it remains the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and continues evolving toward Ethereum 2.0, featuring proof-of-stake consensus and improved scalability.

Who Created Ethereum (ETH)?

Vitalik Buterin is the primary creator and founder of Ethereum (ETH). Born in Russia in 1994 and later moving to Canada, Buterin became deeply involved in the cryptocurrency space at a young age. He co-founded Bitcoin Magazine in 2011 when he was just 17 years old, which helped establish his reputation in the crypto community.

In late 2013, Buterin published the Ethereum whitepaper, proposing a new blockchain platform that would go beyond Bitcoin's limited scripting capabilities. His vision was to create a world computer that could execute smart contracts and support decentralized applications (dApps). The Ethereum whitepaper outlined a revolutionary concept of a blockchain that could run arbitrary code, making it programmable and versatile.

While Buterin is recognized as the primary creator, Ethereum's development involved several other key contributors. Gavin Wood co-founded Ethereum and authored the Ethereum Yellow Paper, which provided the technical specifications for the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Joseph Lubin, who later founded ConsenSys, was another co-founder who helped with business development and funding.

Other notable co-founders include Anthony Di Iorio, who provided early funding and support, Charles Hoskinson (who later created Cardano), Mihai Alisie, and Amir Chetrit. Together, this team worked to bring Buterin's vision to life through extensive development and testing.

The Ethereum project was officially announced at the North American Bitcoin Conference in Miami in January 2014. The development was funded through a crowdsale in 2014, which raised over 31,000 Bitcoin (worth approximately $18 million at the time). The Ethereum network officially launched on July 30, 2015, with the release of the Genesis block.

Today, Buterin continues to play an active role in Ethereum's development, particularly in the transition to Ethereum 2.0 and the shift from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake consensus mechanism. His creation has become the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and the foundation for the entire decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

How Does Ethereum (ETH) Work?

Ethereum (ETH): How It Works

Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform that operates as a global computer network, enabling developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps). Unlike Bitcoin, which primarily serves as digital money, Ethereum functions as a programmable blockchain that can execute complex operations automatically.

Core Components

The Ethereum network consists of thousands of nodes (computers) worldwide that maintain a synchronized copy of the blockchain ledger. Each node validates transactions and executes smart contract code using the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which serves as the runtime environment for all applications on the network.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are self-executing programs stored on the blockchain that automatically perform actions when predetermined conditions are met. Written in programming languages like Solidity, these contracts eliminate the need for intermediaries in many transactions and agreements.

Gas System

Ethereum uses a "gas" system to measure computational work required for operations. Users pay gas fees in ETH to compensate validators for processing their transactions. More complex operations require higher gas fees, creating an economic incentive structure that prevents network spam.

Proof of Stake Consensus

Since September 2022, Ethereum operates on a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism. Validators stake 32 ETH to participate in block validation, earning rewards for honest behavior and facing penalties for malicious actions. This system is more energy-efficient than the previous Proof of Work model.

Transaction Process

When users initiate transactions, they broadcast them to the network where validators collect, verify, and bundle them into blocks. Once validated, blocks are added to the blockchain and distributed across all nodes, ensuring transparency and immutability of the transaction history.

Ethereum (ETH) Key Features

Ethereum Core Features and Characteristics

Ethereum (ETH) is a revolutionary blockchain platform that extends far beyond simple cryptocurrency transactions. Unlike Bitcoin, which primarily serves as digital money, Ethereum functions as a decentralized computing platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps).

Smart Contract Functionality

The most distinctive feature of Ethereum is its smart contract capability. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with terms directly written into code. These contracts automatically execute when predetermined conditions are met, eliminating the need for intermediaries. This feature enables complex financial instruments, automated agreements, and programmable money to operate trustlessly on the blockchain.

Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)

The EVM serves as Ethereum's runtime environment, executing smart contracts across the entire network. It provides a sandboxed environment where code runs exactly as programmed without downtime, censorship, fraud, or third-party interference. The EVM makes Ethereum Turing-complete, meaning it can theoretically solve any computational problem given enough resources.

Decentralized Application Platform

Ethereum supports thousands of DApps across various sectors including decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming, and social media. These applications leverage Ethereum's infrastructure to provide services without centralized control, offering users greater transparency and reduced reliance on traditional institutions.

Proof of Stake Consensus

Following the successful Merge in 2022, Ethereum transitioned from energy-intensive Proof of Work to Proof of Stake consensus mechanism. This change reduced energy consumption by approximately 99.9% while maintaining security. Validators now stake ETH to participate in block validation, earning rewards for honest behavior and facing penalties for malicious actions.

Native Cryptocurrency and Gas Fees

ETH serves as Ethereum's native cryptocurrency, used for transaction fees (gas), staking, and as a store of value. Gas fees compensate network validators and prevent spam by requiring users to pay for computational resources. The fee structure creates economic incentives for network security and efficient resource allocation.

Ethereum (ETH) Distribution and Allocation

Ethereum (ETH) Distribution and Allocation Overview

Ethereum's initial distribution was designed through a multi-phase approach that included a presale, mining rewards, and foundation allocations. The total supply mechanism has evolved significantly since its launch in 2015, transitioning from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

Initial Distribution Structure

The original Ethereum distribution allocated approximately 72 million ETH at genesis. The presale in 2014 raised funds by selling ETH tokens to early investors and supporters. About 60 million ETH were sold during this crowdfunding phase, while an additional 12 million ETH were allocated to the Ethereum Foundation and early developers as compensation for their contributions to the project.

Mining Phase Distribution

From 2015 to 2022, Ethereum operated under a proof-of-work consensus mechanism where miners received block rewards for validating transactions. Initially, miners earned 5 ETH per block, which was later reduced to 3 ETH and then to 2 ETH through various network upgrades. This mining phase significantly increased the total ETH supply over seven years.

Proof-of-Stake Transition

The Ethereum 2.0 upgrade, completed in September 2022 with "The Merge," transitioned the network to proof-of-stake. Validators now stake 32 ETH to participate in network consensus and earn staking rewards. This change eliminated mining rewards and introduced a more energy-efficient validation system.

Current Supply Dynamics

Post-merge Ethereum implements EIP-1559, which burns a portion of transaction fees, potentially making ETH deflationary during high network activity. The combination of staking rewards and fee burning creates a dynamic supply mechanism that responds to network usage patterns, fundamentally changing Ethereum's monetary policy from its original inflationary model.

Ethereum (ETH) Utility and Use Cases

Smart Contracts and Decentralized Applications

Ethereum serves as the foundation for smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with terms directly written into code. These contracts automatically execute when predetermined conditions are met, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Developers use Ethereum to build decentralized applications (DApps) across various sectors including finance, gaming, social media, and supply chain management. The platform's programmable nature allows for complex business logic implementation, making it suitable for sophisticated applications that require trustless execution.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Ecosystem

Ethereum has become the backbone of the DeFi movement, hosting protocols for lending, borrowing, trading, and yield farming. Popular DeFi applications like Uniswap, Compound, and Aave operate on Ethereum, enabling users to access financial services without traditional banking intermediaries. Users can provide liquidity to earn rewards, stake tokens for passive income, or participate in automated market making. The composability of DeFi protocols allows different applications to interact seamlessly, creating a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Digital Assets

Ethereum pioneered the NFT space through standards like ERC-721 and ERC-1155, enabling the creation and trading of unique digital assets. Artists, creators, and brands use Ethereum to mint NFTs representing digital art, collectibles, gaming items, and real-world assets. Major NFT marketplaces like OpenSea and SuperRare operate on Ethereum, facilitating billions of dollars in trading volume. The platform also supports tokenization of real estate, intellectual property, and other assets, creating new investment opportunities.

Enterprise Solutions and Institutional Adoption

Many enterprises leverage Ethereum for supply chain transparency, identity verification, and business process automation. Companies use Ethereum-based solutions for tracking product authenticity, managing digital identities, and streamlining operations through smart contracts. The platform's security and decentralization make it attractive for institutional use cases requiring trust and transparency. Ethereum also serves as a settlement layer for various financial institutions exploring blockchain technology integration.

Ethereum (ETH) Tokenomics

Tokenomics describes the economic model of Ethereum (ETH), including its supply, distribution, and utility within the ecosystem. Factors such as total supply, circulating supply, and token allocation to the team, investors, or community play a major role in shaping its market behaviour.

Pro Tip: Understanding ETH's tokenomics, price trends, and market sentiment can help you better assess its potential future price movements.

Ethereum (ETH) Price History

Price history provides valuable context for ETH, showing how the token has reacted to different market conditions since its launch. By studying historical highs, lows, and overall trends, traders can spot patterns or gain perspective on the token's volatility. Explore the ETH historical price movement now!

Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction

Building on tokenomics and past performance, price predictions for ETH aim to estimate where the token might be headed. Analysts and traders often look at supply dynamics, adoption trends, market sentiment, and broader crypto movements to form expectations. Did you know, MEXC has a price prediction tool that can assist you in measuring the future price of ETH? Check it out now!