Ethereum is the largest and most widely used decentralized software platform that revolutionized the blockchain industry with its smart contract functionality. Since its launch in 2015, Ethereum has become the go-to platform for developers to create decentralized applications (dApps) and issue their own digital tokens. Ether (ETH) is the network’s native token and is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. 

Ethereum was founded in December 2013 by a team led by Vitalik Buterin, with the goal of enabling the development of secure decentralized applications (dApps) that can run without any downtime, fraud, control, or interference from a third party. Ethereum's support for smart contracts has disrupted the way developers build and deploy dApps, enabling the creation of complex, autonomous systems that can execute transactions and enforce rules without human intervention. This revolutionary approach to dApp development, which is further explained in our Understanding Web3 guide, has made Ethereum a leading choice for developers worldwide.

With a large and active developer community and thousands of projects and applications built on its infrastructure, the Ethereum network has inspired the development of numerous other blockchain projects, including many of the most popular cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications.

Ethereum operates through a decentralized network of approx 2.4 mil computer nodes that work together to validate transactions and execute smart contracts. The network is an ideal platform for decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3, and Internet-of-Things (IoT), to name a few. For this, Ethereum enables the automation of complex processes, such as financial agreements, NFT trading or supply chain management, without the need for a third party intermediary. 

On the Ethereum network, transaction records are immutable, verifiable, and securely shared among all network participants, granting them complete transparency over transaction data. In order to process transactions on the network, the sender must authenticate the transaction by signing it and expending Ether (ETH), the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum, as a transaction fee (gas). In this way, gas is used to incentivize network participants to process and validate transactions on the blockchain. The amount of gas required for a transaction is determined by the complexity of the smart contract being executed.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two most popular cryptocurrencies in the market. While both are based on blockchain technology and are decentralized, they have significant differences in terms of their technical specifications and use cases.

One of the main differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum is their intended purpose. Bitcoin is primarily designed as a currency and store of value, while Ethereum is intended to facilitate complex smart contracts and decentralized applications. While both can be traded on various cryptocurrency exchanges and stored in different types of wallets, Ethereum's functionality goes way beyond just being a digital currency.

In late 2013, Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian computer programmer and co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, published a whitepaper where Ethereum was first defined as a new way to build decentralized applications. The paper described a broader blockchain use that would go beyond money and finance. At the time, Vitalik was working with a team composed of Anthony Di Iorio, Charles Hoskinson, Mihai Alisie, Amir Chetrit, Joseph Lubin, Gavin Wood, and Jeffrey Wilcke. All eight members are considered founders of the Ethereum blockchain. Today, out of the initial team, only Vitalik Buterin is still actively working on the blockchain platform.

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The April 2023 Ethereum Shapella upgrade marked the blockchain’s complete transition from a Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake consensus model. With this, staking ETH became even more crucial for maintaining the network’s scalability and efficiency, offering more users the opportunity to stake more ETH.

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Like any other cryptocurrency, the Ethereum price is subject to market volatility and can be influenced by factors such as regulatory developments, technological advancements, and macroeconomic trends, to name a few. Overall, the Ethereum value is a reflection of its adoption and utility as a platform for decentralized applications and smart contracts. As the use cases for Ethereum continue to expand and more developers and users adopt the platform, the demand for ETH tokens is likely to increase, potentially leading to price appreciation.

Moreover, the tokenomics of the Ethereum blockchain can also impact its price. Ether is minted as a reward for each block proposed and at every epoch checkpoint for other validator activity related to reaching consensus. It is important to note that the rate of new token creation is gradually decreasing over time due to the implementation of the hard cap and other changes in the network's monetary policy. This can potentially create a deflationary character to ETH, making it increase in price even more in the future.

The price of Ethereum has been influenced by a variety of factors over the years, including market demand, adoption rates, regulatory changes, and technological advancements. However, since its inception, the Ethereum value has experienced significant growth, reaching a market capitalization of over $500 billion at its peak.

The all-time high for Ethereum (ETH) price occurred on November 9, 2021, when the price exceeded $4,800. The significant increase in price can be attributed to a variety of factors, including increased institutional adoption, the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms built on Ethereum, and the overall growth of the cryptocurrency market. While the price has fluctuated since its all-time high, ETH remains the second most popular choice for investors and traders in the cryptocurrency space.

The all-time low for Ethereum occurred on October 21, 2015, months after its official launch, when the price reached $0.42. However, the downturn was short lived. As Ethereum quickly rose to prominence, the price appreciated soon enough and kept rising in the long term.

The fully diluted valuation of Ethereum (ETH) refers to the hypothetical market capitalization of the cryptocurrency if all the existing ETH tokens were in circulation. It takes into account the total supply of ETH that could potentially be in circulation, including both the currently circulating supply and any additional tokens that may be issued in the future.

As of May 2023, the total supply of Ethereum is capped at approximately 120 million ETH. However, it's important to note that Ethereum has been undergoing changes with the implementation of Ethereum 2.0. This transition involves various phases, and the full supply of Ethereum may change as the network evolves.

To calculate the fully diluted valuation, one would multiply the total potential supply of ETH by the current price of ETH in the market. For example, if the total potential supply is 120 million ETH and the price of ETH is $1,800 (as of April, 2023), the fully diluted valuation would be $216 billion.

In general, the fully diluted valuation represents a hypothetical scenario and should be interpreted with caution. It assumes that all tokens are in circulation, which may not be the case in reality due to factors such as locked tokens, lost tokens, or token distribution mechanisms. Additionally, market prices are influenced by various factors, including supply and demand dynamics, investor sentiment, and market conditions, which can cause significant fluctuations in the valuation.

When comparing the price performance of Ethereum against its peers, such as Bitcoin and other top 10 crypto assets, Ethereum has shown strong growth potential. While Bitcoin remains the most valuable cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization, Ethereum has shown a higher percentage increase in price over the past few years. History has shown that the price movements of Bitcoin can have a significant impact on other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum's Ether. ETH is strongly correlated with Bitcoin and is more volatile than Bitcoin. When Bitcoin prices increase, Ether prices tend to increase even more, and when Bitcoin prices decrease, Ether prices tend to decrease even more sharply. 

Public sentiment on ETH can change quickly based on various factors. At its peak, in November 2021, ETH was highly valued by the public opinion, being traded at over $4,800. Since then, the price decreased, along with the entire crypto market, due to factors like economic uncertainty, recession and political turmoil. Despite this, currently, the price of ETH is on the rise again. As of April 2023, ETH has gained 100% in value, doubling its price in the last 4 months, signaling a positive market sentiment around Ethereum.

Due to the fact that every transaction that occurs on the Ethereum network requires computational resources, a fee is required for each transaction. The term "gas" is commonly used to refer to this fee, regardless of whether the transaction is successful or not. These fees are paid using Ethereum's native currency, Ether (ETH).

Ethereum token standards are a crucial aspect of the Ethereum blockchain. ERC tokens are digital assets that are built using Ethereum's smart contract technology. These standards have enabled the creation of a wide range of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, digital art, and collectibles. While there are challenges associated with creating ERC tokens, the benefits of doing so are numerous. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to grow, it is likely that we will see the creation of even more ERC token standards in the future, each with its own unique set of benefits and challenges.

There are currently several ERC token standards that have been created, with each standard defining the rules and requirements for the tokens that are built using that standard. The most commonly used ERC token standards include:

ERC-20

This is the most widely used token standard on the Ethereum blockchain. It is used to create fungible tokens, which means that each token is interchangeable and has the same value as any other token of the same type. ERC-20 tokens are used to create cryptocurrencies, such as the Coinmetro Token (XCM) and numerous others. Today, there are more than 450,000 ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum.

ERC-721

This token standard is used to create non-fungible tokens. NFTs are unique digital assets that represent ownership of a specific item, such as a piece of art or a collectible. ERC-721 tokens are used in various applications, including gaming and art marketplaces.

ERC-1155

This token standard is used to create both fungible and non-fungible tokens. It is designed to be more efficient than ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens, as it allows for the creation of multiple token types within a single contract. ERC-1155 tokens are used in gaming and other applications that require the creation of multiple types of tokens.

ERC-4626 

A token standard that has been designed to streamline and standardize the technical aspects of yield-bearing vaults. It introduces a uniform API for tokenized yield-bearing vaults that are based on a single underlying ERC-20 token. Furthermore, the ERC-4626 specification also includes an optional extension for tokenized vaults that use ERC-20 tokens. This extension enables basic functions such as depositing and withdrawing tokens, as well as reading balances.

Each ERC token standard comes with its own set of rules and requirements that developers must follow when creating tokens. For example, ERC-20 tokens must include certain functions in their smart contracts, such as transfer and balance, in order to be compatible with Ethereum wallets and exchanges that support ERC-20 tokens. This standardization ensures that ERC-20 tokens can be easily traded and managed within the Ethereum ecosystem. On the other hand, ERC-721 tokens must include a function that allows the owner to transfer ownership of the token.

While there are many benefits to using ERC tokens, there are also some challenges that developers must overcome. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the security of the smart contracts that are used to create the tokens. To overcome these challenges, developers must ensure that their smart contracts are thoroughly tested and audited by security experts. They must also ensure that their tokens comply with relevant regulations, such as those related to anti-money laundering and know-your-customer (KYC) requirements.

Despite these challenges, ERC tokens have become an essential part of the Ethereum ecosystem, and an important catalyst for growth for the entire crypto and blockchain industry. They have enabled the creation of a wide range of decentralized applications and have opened up new opportunities for developers and investors alike.