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.

Tech

Vitalik Buterin lays out 'walkaway test' for a quantum safe Ethereum

Buterin emphasizes the importance of quantum resistance and scalability, aiming for the Ethereum blockchain to handle thousands of transactions per second.

By Shaurya MalwaJan 12, 2026

Finance

Ethereum’s future hinges on zero-knowledge proofs, EF director says

In a recent interview with CoinDesk, Ethereum Foundation co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang described zero-knowledge as part of Ethereum’s midterm roadmap, pointing to “many amazing breakthroughs” in the past one to two years.

By Margaux NijkerkJan 11, 2026

Finance

Robinhood explains building an Ethereum layer-2: 'We wanted the security from Ethereum'

CoinDesk sat down with Robinhood’s head of crypto, Johann Kerbrat, to get an update on its upcoming layer-2 network, its tokenized stocks program, and its staking offerings.

By Margaux NijkerkJan 10, 2026

Johann Kerbrat (on left), GM of Robinhood Crypto (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)

Finance

Polygon Labs unveils ‘Open Money Stack’ to power borderless stablecoin payments

The system will bring together various elements of the payment stack, including liquidity, orchestration, and regulatory controls.

By Margaux Nijkerk, AI BoostJan 8, 2026

Founder of Polygon and CEO Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon Labs)

Finance

Optimism proposes OP token buybacks using 50% of Superchain revenue

Under the proposal, which is set to move to a governance vote on January 22, Optimism would begin monthly buybacks starting in February.

By Margaux NijkerkJan 8, 2026

Tech

The Protocol: Ledger customer data breached from Global-e platform

Also: Starknet goes down, Vitalik Buterin's goals for Ethereum and ETH staking queues cleared.

By Margaux NijkerkJan 7, 2026

Hands rest on the keyboard of a laptop showing trading graphs, data. (Kanchanara / Unsplash modified by CoinDesk)

Markets

Ethereum can move beyond Bitcoin-style limits as new scaling tools mature: Vitalik Buterin

PeerDAS is already live on Ethereum's mainnet, while zkEVMs are at an advanced stage, focusing on safety and scalability.

By Shaurya Malwa, AI BoostJan 5, 2026

Tech

Ethereum and Solana set the stage for 2026’s DeFi reboot

Ethereum saw a surge in institutional adoption and progress on scaling in 2025, while Solana was stress-testing the network and hardening its infrastructure.

By Margaux Nijkerk, AI BoostJan 3, 2026