Assets, Ethereum

Is Ethereum a Layer 0?

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference.

Ethereum is a public blockchain-based distributed computing platform, featuring smart contract functionality. It provides a decentralized Turing-complete virtual machine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which can execute scripts using an international network of public nodes.

Ethereum also provides a cryptocurrency token called “Ether”, which can be transferred between accounts and used to compensate participant nodes for computations performed. “Gas”, an internal transaction pricing mechanism, is used to mitigate spam and allocate resources on the network.

NOTE: Warning: Ethereum is not a Layer 0 technology. Layer 0 is a concept that refers to the lowest layer of a distributed system, such as the hardware, firmware, and software that manage the underlying physical infrastructure. Ethereum is an open-source decentralized platform for smart contracts, and does not fit into this category.

Ethereum was initially described in a white paper by Vitalik Buterin in 2013. He later went on to found the Ethereum Foundation with Gavin Wood and Joseph Lubin.

Ethereum was crowdfunded during August 2014 by fans all around the world. It is developed by the Ethereum Foundation, with contributions from great minds across the globe.

The value of ether, the native currency of Ethereum, has seen tremendous growth in 2017. This has led many to believe that Ethereum may indeed be a “layer 0” protocol due to its ability to host these ICOs and tokens.

While there is no denying that Ethereum has been instrumental in the success of many ICOs and tokens, it remains to be seen if it can sustain this level of growth in the long term. Only time will tell whether Ethereum is a true layer 0 protocol or not.

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