Overview
Ethereum is an open blockchain with a Turing-complete smart-contract environment, launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and others. ETH is the second-largest crypto asset by recognition, and the network is a base layer for DeFi, NFTs, and other Web3 apps.
Highlights
- Its smart-contract environment hosts a large share of DeFi activity and on-chain asset transfers.
- The Merge moved consensus to proof of stake. The Ethereum Foundation reported that energy use fell by about 99.95%.
- EIP-1559 burns the base fee of each transaction. When activity is high, net ETH issuance can turn negative.
Token model
Ethereum has no fixed supply cap. After EIP-1559, the base fee of each transaction is burned. Whether supply grows or shrinks depends on network activity.
FAQ
What is Ethereum (ETH)?
Ethereum is a public blockchain for smart contracts and decentralized apps. ETH pays computation fees, called gas, and is also used in staking.
How is Ethereum different from Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is mainly a scarce asset and a payments ledger. Ethereum is a programmable platform: developers deploy contract logic for finance and other apps.
How can you trade ETH on bitFlyer?
bitFlyer lists ETH/USDT spot and ETHUSDT perpetual contracts when those markets are open, and may offer flexible earn for ETH. Fees, matching, and earn rates follow the live market and the published schedule.