Ethereum
technologyEthereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart-contract functionality, conceived by Vitalik Buterin in 2013 and launched on July 30, 2015. Its native cryptocurrency is ether (ETH), second only to bitcoin by market capitalization. In September 2022, Ethereum transitioned to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism in the upgrade known as 'The Merge.'