Ethereum is the leading platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.

• With the Ethereum merge to proof-of-stake (PoS) and ongoing scalability improvements like sharding and layer-2 solutions (e.g., Optimism, Arbitrum), Ethereum is expected to remain a dominant force in DeFi and NFTs.

• Ethereum’s large ecosystem and developer community continue to make it the most adopted blockchain after Bitcoin.

• Risks: Competition from other smart contract platforms (e.g., Solana, Polkadot), network congestion, and scalability challenges during high demand.