Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference.
These apps run on a custom built blockchain, an enormously powerful shared global infrastructure that can move value around and represent the ownership of property. This enables developers to create markets, store registries of debts or promises, move funds in accordance with instructions given long in the past (like a will or a futures contract) and many other things that have not been invented yet, all without a middleman or counterparty risk.
The project was bootstrapped via an ether presale in August 2014 by fans all around the world. It is developed by the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit, with contributions from great minds across the globe.
The Ethereum protocol could be used to build Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO). A DAO is an organization with no central authority or control.
A DAO is owned by everyone who purchases tokens, but instead of each token equating to equity shares & ownership, tokens act as contributions that give people voting rights.
NOTE: WARNING: Cent Ethereum is an experimental new type of cryptocurrency, and it carries with it a high level of risk. Potential investors should be aware that investing in Cent Ethereum carries a high degree of risk, including the risk of loss of the entire invested amount. Before investing in Cent Ethereum, investors should carefully consider their objectives, financial situation and risk tolerance.
DAOs are organizations that exist on the Internet and are not subject to geographic borders or restrictions. The code for a DAO is stored on every computer that participates in the network and anyone can join or leave a DAO at any time.
Decisions are made democratically with everyone having an equal say.
A key feature of Ethereum is that it enables developers to create new types of applications that were not possible before. These are called Decentralized Applications or DApps for short.
A DApp can have its own blockchain (like Bitcoin) or it can use Ethereum’s blockchain as its foundation (like Augur).
What makes Ethereum different from Bitcoin? Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are decentralized protocols running on top of a network of computers that anyone can access and use. However, there are significant technical differences between the two. For one, they use different consensus mechanisms to achieve distributed consensus; Bitcoin uses Proof-of-Work (PoW) while Ethereum uses Proof-of-Stake (PoS). PoW requires miners to solve computationally intensive puzzles in order to validate transactions and add them to the blockchain; in return they are rewarded with cryptocurrency. PoS does not require mining in order to validate transactions; rather,validators stake their cryptocurrency holdings in order to earn rewards for each block they validate.
PoS is more energy efficient than PoW since it does not require miners to expend large amounts of electricity in order to validate transactions and add them to the blockchain.
Another key difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum is their purpose; Bitcoin was designed as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system while Ethereum was developed as a platform which enables Decentralized Applications and Smart Contracts to be built and run without any third party interference.
Ethereum also has its own cryptocurrency called “Ether” which is used to pay for transaction fees and services on the network; this is similar to how Bitcoin uses its own currency “BTC” for transaction fees on its network.
So in summary, while both Bitcoin and Ethereum are decentralized protocols running on top of a network of computers which anyone can access and use, there are significant technical differences between the two; chiefly their purpose, consensus mechanisms and currency used for transaction fees.
9 Related Question Answers Found
Ethereum’s Proof of Stake (PoS) algorithm is a significant change from the current Proof of Work (PoW) algorithm. The main advantage of PoS over PoW is that it is more energy efficient. In a PoS system, there is no need for miners to use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical problems in order to earn rewards.
Decentralized exchanges (DEXes) are cryptocurrency exchanges that do not rely on a third party to hold the customers’ funds. Instead, trades occur directly between users (peer-to-peer) through an automated process. This type of exchange is also sometimes referred to as a “trustless” system because it removes the need to trust a third party with your funds.
Metis Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference. Metis Ethereum is built on a blockchain, a shared ledger of all activity on the network. Metis uses cryptography to secure all transactions and keep everyone honest.
Quorum Ethereum is a permissioned, private version of the Ethereum blockchain. It is an enterprise-focused platform that enables businesses to build decentralized applications that are more scalable, private, and secure. Quorum was developed by JPMorgan Chase and is now an open-source project.
An Ethereum POA is a Proof-of-Authority consensus mechanism for the Ethereum network. It is a variant of the Proof-of-Work consensus, which is the main consensus mechanism used by Ethereum. POA is designed to be more energy efficient and provide faster transaction times than PoW.
Ethereum’s Testnet, also known as Ropsten, is a public test network that allows developers to test and experiment with smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Testnet Ethereum is a copy of the main Ethereum network, but with a different set of rules that allow for testing purposes. For example, on the main Ethereum network, Ether (ETH) is the native currency, while on the Testnet Ethereum network, “Test Ether” (tETH) is used instead.
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference. In the Ethereum protocol and blockchain there is a price for each operation. The general idea is that in order for the network to remain secure, all the participants must reach a consensus on the current state of the blockchain.
Ethereum Quorum is a permissioned version of the Ethereum blockchain, developed by J.P. Morgan in conjunction with the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance. It is based on the GoQuorum fork of the Go Ethereum client.
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference. In order to achieve this, Ethereum uses a consensus algorithm called Proof of Work (PoW). PoW is a system that requires miners to “show work” in order to earn the right to add a new block to the blockchain.