Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap and the dominant platform for smart contracts — self-executing code that runs on a decentralized network. It's the foundation most DeFi, NFTs, and tokenized assets are built on.
The Core Idea
Bitcoin is digital money. Ethereum is a programmable blockchain — a global computer that anyone can write code on, and where that code runs exactly as written, without any central party able to modify or stop it.
That programmability is what makes Ethereum different. You can deploy a lending protocol, a DEX, a stablecoin, a token, or a prediction market — all as smart contracts that execute automatically when conditions are met.
ETH: The Native Asset
ETH (Ether) is Ethereum's native currency. It has two primary uses:
Gas fees — Every computation on Ethereum costs gas, paid in ETH. When you swap tokens, mint an NFT, or interact with any smart contract, you pay a small ETH fee to compensate validators.
Store of value / collateral — ETH is widely used as collateral in lending protocols (Aave, MakerDAO) and held as a long-term asset. Since the merge to Proof of Stake, staked ETH earns ~3–4% annual yield.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
The EVM is the runtime environment where smart contracts execute. Every full node runs the same EVM, processes the same transactions, and reaches the same state — this is what makes Ethereum trustless and censorship-resistant.
The EVM has become a standard. Dozens of other chains — Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche — are EVM-compatible, meaning Ethereum smart contracts run on them with minimal changes.
Layer 2s: Scaling Ethereum
Ethereum mainnet processes ~15–30 transactions per second. Gas fees spike during high demand. Layer 2 rollups solve this by batching thousands of transactions off-chain and posting compressed proofs to mainnet.
Major L2s in 2026:
- Base (Coinbase) — Fastest-growing, optimistic rollup, low fees, strong developer ecosystem
- Arbitrum — Largest L2 by TVL, deep DeFi ecosystem
- Optimism — OP Stack powers multiple chains, including Base
- zkSync, Starknet — ZK rollups with stronger security guarantees
For most DeFi users in 2026, the relevant Ethereum is on L2 — cheaper, faster, same EVM compatibility.
Proof of Stake (The Merge)
In September 2022, Ethereum switched from Proof of Work (mining) to Proof of Stake (staking). This reduced energy consumption by ~99.95% and changed ETH issuance significantly.
Validators now secure the network by staking 32 ETH. In return they earn staking rewards (~3–4% annually). Anyone with less than 32 ETH can participate through liquid staking protocols like Lido (stETH) or Rocket Pool (rETH).
ETH vs. SOL
| | Ethereum | Solana | |---|---|---| | TPS (mainnet) | ~15–30 | ~65,000 | | Avg gas fee (2026) | $0.50–$5 (mainnet), $0.01 L2 | $0.0001–$0.001 | | Smart contract language | Solidity/Vyper | Rust | | DeFi TVL | Dominant | Growing fast | | NFT ecosystem | Deep (OpenSea, Blur) | Active (Magic Eden) |
For high-frequency DeFi (swapping, yield farming), Solana's fees are unmatched. For large capital deployment, complex DeFi, and institutional use, Ethereum mainnet + L2s remain dominant.
What Ethereum Powers
- DeFi: Uniswap, Aave, MakerDAO, Curve, Pendle
- Stablecoins: USDC, USDT, DAI are primarily on Ethereum/L2s
- NFTs: Most high-value NFT collections live on Ethereum
- Tokenized assets: US Treasury bonds (Ondo, Superstate), tokenized equities
- Token presales and launches: Most ERC-20 launches still happen on Ethereum or Base