In the cryptocurrency world, the term “Ethereum” is often used interchangeably with “ERC20”. But what exactly is ERC20, and how is it different from Ethereum?
ERC20 is a technical standard that defines how tokens can be built on the Ethereum blockchain. It’s basically a set of rules that all Ethereum-based tokens must follow.
The ERC20 standard was created in 2015 by Fabian Vogelsteller. It’s since become the most popular standard for token development on Ethereum.
ERC20 tokens are often referred to as “utility tokens” or “app coins”, because they’re typically used to power decentralized applications (dApps). The most popular ERC20 token is probably EOS, which is used to power the EOS.
IO dApp platform.
Other examples of ERC20 tokens include Augur (REP), Basic Attention Token (BAT), Golem (GNT), and 0x (ZRX).
So, to recap: ERC20 is a technical standard for tokens that are built on the Ethereum blockchain. The standard was created to make it easier to develop and manage Ethereum-based tokens.
ERC20 tokens are often used to power dApps.
Now let’s compare Ethereum and ERC20…
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: programs that automatically execute transactions when certain conditions are met.
ERC20 is a technical standard for tokens that are built on the Ethereum blockchain.
So, while Ethereum is a platform that can be used to build decentralized applications, ERC20 is a specific type of token that can be used within those applications.