What is Ethereum and How Does it Power the Blockchain?
Ethereum, created by Vitalik Buterin in 2015, is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin. Ethereum's blockchain supports smart contracts—self-executing agreements where terms are directly written into code. These contracts enable decentralized applications (dApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Ethereum's flexibility makes it a foundational network for innovation, and its ongoing upgrade to Ethereum 2.0 aims to improve scalability, security, and sustainability.
