A programmable blockchain platform, launched in 2015, that runs smart contracts and has its own cryptocurrency called Ether.
While Bitcoin was designed mainly as digital money, Ethereum was built as a general-purpose platform where developers can deploy smart contracts, self-executing programs that run on the blockchain. This made it the foundation for much of DeFi, NFTs, decentralized autonomous organizations, and many other tokens.
Ethereum was proposed by Vitalik Buterin and co-founded with several others. Users pay transaction costs called gas fees in Ether. In 2022, an upgrade known as the Merge switched Ethereum from proof of work to proof of stake, which sharply reduced its energy use. To address congestion and high fees, many applications now run on layer 2 networks that bundle transactions and settle them on Ethereum.
The transaction fee paid to process an operation or run a smart contract on a blockchain network such as Ethereum.
Non-Fungible TokenA unique digital token recorded on a blockchain that represents ownership of a specific item, such as artwork, a collectible, or a ticket.
Proof of StakeA blockchain consensus mechanism in which validators lock up cryptocurrency as collateral to earn the right to propose and confirm blocks.
Smart ContractA program stored on a blockchain that automatically executes predefined actions when its conditions are met.
Zero-Knowledge ProofA cryptographic method that lets one party prove a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the fact that it is true.
How DAOs work, from token voting and delegation to treasury management, plus the governance pitfalls, famous failures and US legal questions anyone joining or starting one should know.
What NFTs really are, how ownership records and metadata work, practical uses in ticketing and loyalty, why many NFT projects failed, and what buyers often misunderstand.
Why smart contracts can't see the outside world, how oracles bring in prices and real-world events, the main oracle designs and the trust risks every builder and user should understand.