Ethereum entered the crypto universe in 2015 when 21-year-old Vitalik Buterin co-founded the platform with four others. Presently, Ethereum is one of the largest networks on Earth, second only to Bitcoin in terms of market capitalization and value.
Ethereum has become a blossoming community for users, investors, and developers. Its second major upgrade, Ethereum 2.0, is on its way soon.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we must understand what Ethereum is and how it became today’s influential crypto platform.
Ethereum (ETH) is a blockchain platform that uses open-source software. A blockchain is a system that records and verifies digital transactions across multiple computers on a peer-to-peer network.
Ethereum houses the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, ether. The only cryptocurrency worth more is Bitcoin.
Bitcoin (BTC) aims to change the world’s perspective on money by creating a digital currency as an alternative to traditional fiat currencies like the US dollar or the euro. Ethereum, like Bitcoin, attempts to be an alternative to traditional currencies, but it differs from Bitcoin in the fact that Ethereum allows people to build decentralized applications (dApps) on top of it. These apps have no oversight from a central authority like a bank or a government, run without permission with near-100% updates, and are accessible to everyone globally. These dApps include smart contracts, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized finance (DeFi).
In short, Ethereum aims to revolutionize how internet-based applications operate by giving users more freedom. Ethereum’s decentralized approach allows the platform to do away with intermediaries in favor of smart contracts, which is a code that takes the place of traditional middlemen such as governments and banks and carries out predefined rules automatically.
To understand Ethereum’s potential for applications, transactions, and smart contracts, we must look at how it compares to Bitcoin and its functionality for the average user.
Ethereum differs fundamentally from Bitcoin’s network, because the former aims to support applications and smart contracts and offer a decentralized currency platform. In contrast, Bitcoin focuses exclusively on being a superior asset and a form of money.
Ethereum and Bitcoin both rely on blockchain technology. Presently, both rely on the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to secure the network. However, an upcoming change in Ethereum's architecture will change Ethereum’s consensus mechanism to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), which will change its speed, accessibility, and functionality.
Ethereum’s website cites ether as “the currency of Ethereum apps.” To use the Ethereum network, one must pay in ether.
To further break this down, we can consider ether as Ethereum’s fuel. Ethereum requires a lot of computing power to run, and this power is not available for free. Users are required to pay for Ethereum transactions and operations using ether, which facilitates applications to run on the platform.
If Ethereum were a centralized system, it would exist on a single server supervised by a central authority. Instead, Ethereum's network exists on multiple computer systems globally, making it decentralized.
Each system is known as a "node.” Each node has a copy of Ethereum's primary decentralized system, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). If one node fails, thousands of other systems are in place to back it up, meaning one would have to control a majority of nodes to hack the system. This makes Ethereum immensely difficult to cyber attack and more difficult as the value of the currency increases.
Like every blockchain, each interaction on Ethereum's network is called a transaction, which is stored in a "block" that miners authenticate. Once authenticated, a transaction becomes publicly visible on Ethereum's blockchain.
Validating a new block is important because it proves the block is unique and immune to duplication. Currently, each block has a 64-digit code to go with it. The entire authentication process is known as PoW, as miners use their advanced computing power to prove each new block is legitimate. Miners receive payment for their work in the form of ether.
Users pay validators a fee for transactions using Ethereum gas. If a miner authenticates a particular transaction initiated by a user, the user will pay the miner, further incentivizing mining in the future. Ethereum gas also modulates the number of actions a user can make per transaction, ensuring security on the blockchain and preventing spam because the more transaction demand there is, the higher the gas fee is. This means that at times of peak demand, only users who are willing to pay a steep premium will transact.
Ethereum allows users to build applications on its blockchain, with ether as a utility token allowing applications to interact with the blockchain. With recent updates, Ether’s supply is determined by the types of activity on the network, meaning based on its usage, it can be inflationary or deflationary.The value of the network is likely highly correlated to the usage of applications built on top of it. One can calculate the network’s value by the total fees paid to miners or other methodologies. Ethereum historically has far more fees generated than any other blockchain, including Bitcoin.
Ethereum’s native token ether can be used to transact and store value much like Bitcoin. However, unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum has the ability to develop and run applications on top of it.
As a result, Ethereum's use, unlike Bitcoin’s network, is not limited to simple financial transactions. Users can complete complex Ethereum transactions involving smart contracts, where two parties mutually agree to a set of conditions at which to execute a previously agreed-upon transaction. When the set of conditions is met, the contract will automatically come into effect, delivering ether to the relevant party. Applications built on smart contracts can be everything from loans to royalties paid to musicians to agreeing to query data from a blockchain and more.
The combination of Ethereum's decentralized nature, ether's functionality as a utility token, and the growing ecosystem of apps on top of Ethereum fuels its use and appeal. To further understand Ethereum’s practicality, we must look at its advantages and disadvantages for both users and developers.
Ethereum’s mass appeal comes from its many advantages over other cryptocurrencies. It maintains the second rank in crypto for a reason. Below, we attempt to break down some advantages and disadvantages of Ethereum as it relates to other cryptos.
Ethereum 2.0 is the long-awaited major upgrade to Ethereum. With ETH 2.0, Ethereum's Mainnet will become more scalable. It aims to reduce gas fees, increase TPS, become more deflationary, and make life more convenient for the Ethereum community.
ETH 2.0's major talking point is its transition from a PoW protocol to a PoS one. This will gradually reduce the need for miners who use advanced computational power, electricity, and technical expertise. ETH 2.0 will see staking (the process of holding or locking up crypto, by which users may or may not earn rewards), replacing mining, meaning users will gain more control over the transaction process. Estimates claim that ETH will reduce its carbon footprint by up to 99.95%.
The transition to Ethereum 2.0 has been in the works for years and has been marred by several delays. Part of this reason is for the decentralized effort to build the upgrades. These delays have caused many to switch off, but may be justified if the upgrade works smoothly.
Users cannot buy Ethereum itself, as Ethereum is the network that hosts decentralized applications and smart contracts. Instead, those interested in transacting on the Ethereum network can buy ether. Here's how:
The world of cryptocurrency is evolving. Ethereum 2.0’s impending launch will bring many benefits to the crypto space, but it’s not the only cryptocurrency scaling rapidly.
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