What is Ethereum?
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 how the Internet was supposed to work.
Ethereum was crowdfunded during August 2014 by fans all around the world. It is developed by ETHDEV with contributions from great minds across the globe.
What is a smart contract?
A smart contract is a computer protocol that facilitates, verifies, or enforces the negotiation or performance of a contract. Smart contracts allow the performance of credible transactions without third parties.
These transactions are trackable and irreversible.
How does Ethereum work?
Ethereum takes the decentralized infrastructure of the Internet and applies it to transactions. Ethereum’s decentralized platform runs on blockchain technology, which is also used by Bitcoin.
However, while Bitcoin blockchain only records financial transactions, Ethereum blockchain also supports so-called “smart contracts” which can be used to build decentralized applications (DApps). DApps have been called “the killer app of blockchain” because they have the potential to disrupt many centralized industries such as banking, law, and insurance. .
What are the differences between Ethereum and Bitcoin?
Bitcoin and Ethereum are similar in that they are both decentralized platforms based on blockchain technology. However, there are several key differences between the two:
– Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency used as a digital payment system, while Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts and DApps. In other words, while Bitcoin enables peer-to-peer payments, Ethereum enables programmable payments (i.e., smart contracts).
– While the Bitcoin blockchain has a limited number of nodes (i.e., computers that verify transactions), there is no limit to the number of nodes on the Ethereum network.
This makes Ethereum more scalable than Bitcoin.
– The block time (i.e., the time it takes to verify a transaction) on the Bitcoin network is 10 minutes, while it is only 12 seconds on the Ethereum network. This makes Ethereum much faster than Bitcoin.
Bitcoin vs Ethereum: Summary
While both Bitcoin and Ethereum are decentralized platforms based on blockchain technology, there are several key differences between the two: (1) Bitcoin is used as a digital payment system, while Ethereum runs smart contracts and DApps; (2) The Bitcoin network has a limited number of nodes, while there is no limit to the number of nodes on the Ethereum network; and (3) The block time on the Bitcoin network is 10 minutes, while it is only 12 seconds on the Ethereum network.