Ethereum News

Ethereum (ETH) was launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and a team of co-founders as the world's first programmable blockchain, enabling smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) that extend far beyond simple peer-to-peer transactions. After transitioning from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus through "The Merge" in 2022, Ethereum now processes transactions more efficiently while maintaining its position as the foundation for decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3 innovation.

The Ethereum ecosystem encompasses thousands of decentralized applications, from DeFi protocols like Uniswap and Aave to NFT marketplaces, gaming platforms, and layer-2 scaling solutions like Arbitrum and Polygon. Developers, validators, and users interact within this programmable economy where ETH serves as both a digital currency and the fuel powering smart contract execution through gas fees.

CoinDesk covers all aspects of Etherum, from protocol upgrades and scaling developments to DeFi innovation and regulatory implications. Our reporters track everything from Ethereum's roadmap milestones and staking developments to the broader implications of programmable money and decentralized autonomous organizations.

DISCLOSURE: This text was written with the assistance of AI, then reviewed by a person.

Policy

U.S. CFTC Chief Behnam Reinforces View of Ether as Commodity

That view differs from the apparent SEC view that ETH may be a security.

By Jesse HamiltonMar 28, 2023

CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Finance

Staking Protocol EigenLayer Raises $50M Amid Crypto Winter

Blockchain Capital led the round for the system that allows Ethereum stakers to reuse the tokens.

By Brandy BetzMar 28, 2023

Tech

ConsenSys Launches zkEVM Public Testnet, Renames It ‘Linea’

The release comes in the days after competitors, Polygon and Matter Labs, came out with their own zkEVMs.

By Margaux NijkerkMar 28, 2023

Videos

Bitcoin Briefly Slips Below $27K as CFTC Sues Binance

Bitcoin (BTC) briefly dipped below $27,000 as crypto traders react to the CFTC suing Binance and its CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao. In the last 24 hours, Binance has seen a net outflow of $400 million on Ethereum, according to blockchain analytics firm Nansen. This compares to a net flow of $2 billion over the past seven days. Hxro founder Dan Gunsberg weighs in.

Mar 27, 2023

Tech

Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta Goes Live; Ethereum’s Buterin Sends First Transaction

The release of Polygon’s zkEVM comes just days after competitor Matter Labs released its own zkEVM, zkSync Era.

By Margaux NijkerkMar 27, 2023

Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Regulatory Pressure Did Not Shut Down Privacy Tool, Aztec Founders Say

Despite U.S. efforts to sanction Tornado Cash and other crypto privacy tools, Aztec says it shut down its Ethereum zero-knowledge tools for commercial reasons.

By Anna BaydakovaMar 24, 2023

Videos

Zero Knowledge Proofs Explained

Matter Labs is opening its zkSync Era to general users after it launched to developers last month. CEO and co-founder Alex Gluchowski explains what zero-knowledge proofs are as competition between Ethereum scaling platforms heats up.

Mar 24, 2023

Tech

Matter Labs Opens zkSync Era to Users, Claiming First in ‘Zero Knowledge’ Tech on Ethereum

After zkSync Era was launched only for developers last month, the project took the additional step Friday of opening to general users. The latest push comes just days ahead of the rival Polygon system’s planned rollout Monday of its own “zero knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine.”

By Margaux NijkerkMar 24, 2023