What is Ethereum?

Lesson 4
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Welcome to the third topic of our Blocktrade Academy Course, where Martin, the crypto expert, helps us explore one of the most exciting and promising cryptocurrencies in the market: Ethereum. Ethereum is more than just a digital currency, it’s a decentralized computer network that enables developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) that can potentially revolutionize a wide range of industries. In this article, we will dive deep into Ethereum’s unique features, its potential applications, and how it differs from Ethereum Classic and other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin.

An Introduction to Ethereum

In 2014, Vitalik Buterin created Ethereum, a decentralized computer network and the world’s first decentralized app platform. Ethereum is now the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, accounting for about 18% of the overall crypto market. Unlike traditional systems, Ethereum is global, cannot fail, be stopped or censored. It has no authority, government, or corporation behind it, making it resistant to attack. Running Ether, Ethereum’s decentralized currency, is only a small part of what Ethereum can do. The platform can be used for various applications, including voting, legal contracts, and social networks. The decentralized app can be created with Ethereum’s programming language called Solidity, and it can be deployed on the Ethereum network.

Ethereum’s code and transactions are all verifiable and auditable, and its data is immutable and permanent. It means that once a smart contract is deployed, it cannot be changed. Ethereum’s decentralization offers more efficiency, resiliency, and scalability than traditional centralized systems.

What is the Difference Between Ethereum and Ethereum Classic

While Ethereum has a lot of exciting potential, it’s important to note the difference between Ethereum and Ethereum Classic. Ethereum Classic is a fork of the original Ethereum blockchain that was created after a hard fork in July 2016. The fork was the result of a disagreement over the DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) hack. Ethereum Classic supporters chose to continue with the original Ethereum blockchain, while Ethereum supporters created a new blockchain.

Technically speaking, Ethereum and Ethereum Classic are quite similar. Both operate on a blockchain and use smart contracts to enable the execution of decentralized applications. They both use the same programming language, Solidity, for smart contract development. Additionally, Ethereum has a larger developer community and a higher number of active nodes, making it more secure and reliable.

Overall, while the two blockchains are technically similar, Ethereum has had more development and community support, resulting in a more robust and secure network.

What is the Difference Between Dogecoin and Ethereum

Another popular cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, has often been compared to Ethereum. However, there are significant differences between the two. Dogecoin was created in 2013 as a joke based on the popular internet meme. It has a limited supply of 130 billion coins and a fast block time of one minute, making it easy to mine. In contrast, Ethereum has no hard limit on its supply, and its block time is around 15 seconds. While both cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology, they differ in their approach to consensus mechanisms. Dogecoin uses a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which means that miners compete to solve complex mathematical problems in order to verify transactions and add them to the blockchain. Ethereum, on the other hand, has transitioned to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, which involves validators staking their own cryptocurrency in order to verify transactions and secure the network.

Another major difference between Dogecoin and Ethereum is their programming languages. Dogecoin uses a simplified version of Bitcoin’s programming language, while Ethereum uses a more advanced programming language called Solidity. This allows developers to build decentralized applications (Dapps) on top of the Ethereum blockchain, while Dogecoin’s programming language is more limited in its capabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ethereum is a revolutionary decentralized computer network that enables the creation of decentralized apps for various purposes. Its decentralization offers more efficiency, resiliency, and scalability than traditional centralized systems. While Ethereum has a lot of potential, it’s important to note the difference between Ethereum and Ethereum Classic and understand that they are two separate entities. Additionally, while Dogecoin has gained popularity, it is fundamentally different from Ethereum in terms of its purpose and structure.

To learn more about cryptocurrencies and the world of cryptocurrency investing, check out our Blocktrade Academy Course: A Beginner’s Guide to Cryptocurrency Investing. In our previous videos, we covered the basics of blockchain and cryptocurrency, and explored if investing in cryptocurrency is good for beginners. In our upcoming videos, we will explore how much beginners should invest in crypto, and answer if it’s too late for you to jump into crypto. So stay tuned in.

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Disclaimer:

This is not financial advice. Mentioning coins and tokens is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or participate in the associated network. We would like to encourage you to do your own research and invest at your own risk.

Editorial team

We are a team of crypto enthusiasts. Each of us has extensive theoretical and practical experience in trading, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain. We also like to dig deep and explore. Our goal is to help you make the right and relevant decisions.