Ethereum paper is a digital asset and smart contract platform that enables developers to create decentralized applications (dapps) on its blockchain. It was launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian programmer and co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine.
Ethereum paper is often described as a digital currency, but it is more accurately described as a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts. These contracts are programmable transactions that can be used to facilitate, verify, or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract.
Ethereum paper has been designed to be adaptable and flexible. Its core functionality can be divided into two parts: a decentralized virtual machine (EVM) that executes smart contracts, and a decentralized platform that runs those contracts. The EVM is the environment in which all Ethereum paper smart contracts are executed. It is sandboxed and completely isolated from the network, file system, or other processes of the host computer system.
This means that code running inside the EVM has no access to network resources, file system, or other processes. The EVM makes it possible to execute any type of computation on the Ethereum network.
The second part of Ethereum paper’s core functionality is its decentralized platform that runs smart contracts. This platform is powered by a cryptocurrency called Ether. Ether is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the Ethereum network. In this way, it functions like gasoline powers a car.
When someone wants to run a smart contract on the Ethereum network, they must first pay for gas with Ether. The amount of gas required for a transaction depends on the complexity of the computation being performed by the smart contract.
Ethereum paper’s flexibility enables developers to create a wide range of decentralized applications (dapps). These dapps can be used for anything from financial transactions and payments to creating decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). One popular use case for Ethereum paper is creating tokenized assets.
These assets can represent anything from fiat currencies to commodities or even other cryptocurrencies. Tokenized assets created on Ethereum paper are called ERC20 tokens.
ERC20 tokens are created using smart contracts on the Ethereum network. They are compliant with a set of rules called the ERC20 standard. This standard defines how these tokens behave within the Ethereum ecosystem.
It also specifies how they can interact with other ERC20 tokens and smart contracts. The ERC20 standard makes it possible for these tokens to be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges and used in dapps and other projects built on Ethereum paper.
The flexibility of Ethereum paper has led to its widespread adoption by developers around the world. There are now thousands of dapps built on Ethereum paper with more being created every day.
The popularity of Ethereum paper has also resulted in a vibrant ecosystem of tools and services that support its development and use. This ecosystem includes everything from wallets and exchanges to news and information sources.