ETH

Ethereum (ETH) is a decentralized, open‑source blockchain that introduced programmable smart contracts, allowing developers to create and execute self‑executing code without intermediaries. Its native token, ether, is used to pay transaction fees (gas) and to incentivize participants who secure the network, especially after the shift to proof‑of‑stake validation in “the Merge.” The platform powers a wide range of applications, including decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, non‑fungible token (NFT) marketplaces, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), making it the primary infrastructure for many Web3 services. Ethereum’s extensive developer community, standardized token protocols (ERC‑20, ERC‑721) and growing layer‑2 scaling solutions give it a leading position in the broader crypto ecosystem as the most widely adopted smart‑contract platform.