Ethereum
Ethereum is a blockchain-based platform that allows developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) using smart contracts.
These are computer codes that facilitate the exchange of money, property, shares, content, or anything that has value. It’s pre-programmed and predefined, meaning that once the trigger conditions are executed, the result manifests automatically.
Ethereum has a native cryptocurrency, which is called Ether (ETH). ETH is currently the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
The project’s whitepaper was published back in 2013 by Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s Co-Founder. In January 2014, Ethereum began the official development of the platform. A few months later, in August, the team managed to raise $18.4 million through a token sale. The ETH token was released during the summer of 2015.
Like Bitcoin, Ethereum was initially developed to work using the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm. However, the team is working to transition to Proof-of-Stake, which is supposed to take place in 2020.
