Ethereum is a decentralized platform that enables developers to build and deploy smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). It was proposed by programmer Vitalik Buterin in 2013 and went live in 2015.At the core of Ethereum is Ether (ETH), the platform’s native cryptocurrency, which is used to facilitate transactions, pay for computational services, and secure the network. Unlike Bitcoin, which primarily serves as a digital currency, Ethereum focuses on allowing users to create and run applications without relying on a central authority.Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. This allows for trustless transactions between parties, as these contracts automatically execute when predefined conditions are met. Ethereum has gained significant attention for its versatility, particularly in areas like decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and tokenization of assets, making it a cornerstone of innovation in the blockchain space.