When it comes to digital currencies, there is no doubt that Bitcoin is the king. It has the longest track record, the most name recognition, and the most developer support.

However, there is a new digital currency on the block that is quickly gaining ground on Bitcoin – Ethereum.

Whereas Bitcoin was designed primarily as a digital currency, Ethereum was designed as a decentralized platform that can be used to build applications. This difference in design has led to some interesting differences in how the two currencies function.

For one, Ethereum’s blockchain is much more flexible than Bitcoin’s. This flexibility allows for the development of a wide range of applications on top of Ethereum’s blockchain.

These applications can range from simple contracts to fully-fledged decentralized applications (dapps).

The flexibility of Ethereum’s blockchain also comes with some downsides. Because the rules governing Ethereum’s blockchain can be changed by software updates, there is a risk that future changes could be made that are not compatible with older versions of the software.

This could lead to a “fork” in the Ethereum blockchain, similar to what happened with Bitcoin earlier this year.

Despite these risks, Ethereum has been gaining ground on Bitcoin in terms of both price and popularity. In June of 2017, Ethereum’s market capitalization surpassed $10 billion for the first time.

And, as of September 2017, Ethereum’s market capitalization is now over $28 billion – second only to Bitcoin.

So, can Ethereum overtake Bitcoin as the world’s largest digital currency? It’s certainly possible. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Ethereum can parlay its early success into long-term sustainability.