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.
Ethereum is still in development and subject to significant changes over time. While we cannot guarantee any particular outcome, we believe that Ethereum represents a next generation of computing platform with vast potential.
Decentralized applications have the potential to profoundly disrupt hundreds of industries including finance, real estate, academia, insurance, healthcare and the public sector amongst many others.
Ethereum trading is profitable if one knows how to trade it correctly. Many people are still unaware of Ethereum and how it works.
Those who are familiar with Bitcoin usually think that Ethereum works in the same way. However, there are several key differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum trading that one should be aware of before starting to trade either cryptocurrency.
The first difference is that Ethereum is not just a digital currency but rather a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts. These smart contracts are applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference.
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 second difference is that Ethereum has much faster transaction times than Bitcoin. While Bitcoin transactions usually take around 10 minutes to confirm, Ethereum transactions can be confirmed in just seconds.
This is because Ethereum uses a different consensus algorithm than Bitcoin which allows for much faster transaction times.
The third difference is that the total supply of Ether is not capped like Bitcoin. This means that over time, as more and more Ether is mined (or created), the price per Ether should go up if demand for it increases (which it has been doing steadily since its inception).
This makes Ether a potentially more profitable investment than Bitcoin in the long run.
So overall, yes Ethereum trading can be quite profitable if one knows what they are doing and invests for the long term.