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.

Markets

Ethereum Gas Fee Surges to 12-Month High as PEPE Frenzy Grips Market

Users pay the fees, measured in fractions of ether (ETH) known as gwei, to execute transactions on the smart contract blockchain.

By Omkar GodboleMay 5, 2023

Pepe the Frog (PepeCoin's Twitter account)

Tech

CoinDesk Validator ‘Zelda’ Successfully Exits Ethereum as Withdrawal Queue Shrinks to 9 Days

It took about 12 days for Zelda to fully exit the Ethereum blockchain. For any new staking withdrawal requests, the wait to get out has shrunk to nine days from 17 days.

By Margaux NijkerkMay 3, 2023

Videos

Sports Illustrated Unveils NFT Ticketing Platform on Polygon

U.S. sports media company Sports Illustrated is launching a non-fungible token (NFT) ticketing platform called "Box Office" built on the Polygon network, an Ethereum scaling tool. "The Hash" panel discusses the future of NFT ticketing and live entertainment powered by blockchain technology.

May 2, 2023

Web3

Sports Illustrated Launches NFT Ticketing Platform on Polygon

Sports Illustrated's ticketing marketplace SI Tickets has developed "Box Office" in partnership with Ethereum software company ConsenSys.

By Jamie CrawleyMay 2, 2023

Web3

Sotheby's Launches On-Chain Secondary NFT Marketplace

Sotheby’s Metaverse will now offer a curated, peer-to-peer marketplace via the Ethereum and Polygon networks.

By Rosie PerperMay 1, 2023

XCOPY "Departed" and "Right Click Save Guy" (Sotheby's Metaverse, modified by CoinDesk)

Markets

CoinDesk Indices, Crypto Asset Manager CoinFund Launch an Ethereum Staking Benchmark Rate

The benchmark is derived from daily transaction fees and staking rewards generated by Ethereum, bringing pricing tools that institutional investors expect into digital assets.

By Sam ReynoldsApr 27, 2023

Finance

Crypto Innovation and Regulation Can Co-Exist, Top Industry Executives Agree

In a wide-ranging panel discussion at Consensus 2023, a quartet of senior crypto industry executives discussed what's next in the digital asset market's evolution.

By Glenn Williams Jr.Apr 27, 2023

Finance

Decentralized Exchange Vertex Launches on Ethereum Layer 2 Arbitrum

The platform offers another venue to trade digital assets.

By Ian AllisonApr 26, 2023

Vertex Protocol co-founder Darius Tabatabai (Vertex)

Tech

How the Hunt for Yet-to-Exist Tokens Is Shaping Ethereum’s Layer 2 Landscape

Token airdrops – and the prospect of them – have become the default customer acquisition strategy for Ethereum's layer 2 scaling projects. But is this strategy sustainable?

By Sam KesslerApr 26, 2023

Layer 2s with native tokens and blockchain bridges might introduce more problems than they fix as blockchain scaling solutions, Trust Machine's Rena Shah argues. (Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)

Tech

Ethereum's Lifetime Energy Use Before the Merge Equaled Switzerland's for a Year

If Bitcoin’s energy consumption can be thought of as a skyscraper, Ethereum’s energy use post-Merge, would be the size of a raspberry, according to University of Cambridge research.

By Ian AllisonApr 26, 2023