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 Ethereum, all transactions are public and recorded on a shared public ledger, called a blockchain. This ensures that everyone can see what is happening on the network at all times.
Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public dispersed ledger.
The Ethereum blockchain is unique in that it enables developers to build and deploy decentralized applications. A decentralized application or DApp serve some specific purpose to its users.
Bitcoin, for example, is a DApp that provides its users with a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that enables online Bitcoin payments. Because decentralized applications are made up of code that runs on a blockchain network, they are not controlled by any single entity.
The Ethereum blockchain is fueled by ether, which is sometimes referred to as “Ethereum gas.” Ether is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the Ethereum network.
When someone wants to run a DApp on the Ethereum network, they need to first create an account with a digital wallet. This account will be used to hold ether and interact with smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
The account owner will use their private key to sign off on transactions. The private key is like a password that gives the account owner access to their ether balance and allows them to send ether to other accounts on the network.
Once an account has been created, the next step is to choose which decentralized application they would like to interact with. When interacting with a DApp, the user’s digital wallet will send signed transactions to the Ethereum network which will then be broadcasted to all node operators.
Node operators will verify the transaction and then add it to the blockchain if it is valid. Once added to the blockchain, the transaction cannot be changed or reversed.
The process of creating and deploying a decentralized application on the Ethereum network is often referred to as “mining.” In order for miners to be incentivized to process transactions and secure the network, they are rewarded with ether for each block they mine successfully.
The amount of ether awarded per block mined decreases over time as the total supply of ether grows. currently, miners receive 3 ETH per block mined which will eventually decrease to 2 ETH, 1 ETH, and then 0 ETH per block mined as more ether enters circulation.
The Ethereum chain is fueled by ether and used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the Ethereum network. The chain is also used to store data from decentralized applications running on the network. Every transaction made on the Ethereum network is stored in a block on the chain which cannot be altered or reversed making it an immutable record of all activity taking place on the network.