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 Logged Its Busiest Week on Record

It’s costing more to use Ethereum and that may be because more users are flocking to the platform than ever before, according to one key on-chain metric.

By Omkar GodboleJun 16, 2020

Daily gas usage on Ethereum and ether prices since June 19, 2019. (CoinMetrics)

Finance

Mining Pools Distribute $2.4M Transaction Fee After Flood of Phoney Refund Claims [Updated]

Mining pool Ethermine said it would never freeze transaction fees again.

By Paddy BakerJun 15, 2020

Countdown timer (Credit: rootstock/Shutterstock.com)

Tech

Why This Dev Built a 'Centralized Ethereum' on Top of Bitcoin's Lightning Network

Ethereum showed the limits of decentralization, says the creator of an explicitly centralized version that pays contracts via Bitcoin’s Lightning Network.

By Alyssa HertigJun 12, 2020

Policy

This Political Conversation With Vitalik Buterin Shows How Ethereum Could Change the World

Congressional candidate Jonathan Herzog hosted a live YouTube broadcast with Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin on Monday, along with author Glen Weyl.

By Leigh CuenJun 10, 2020

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin was one of the first to sign an NFT on the platform.

Markets

ETH Whale Pays $5.2M in Fees for 2 Mysterious Transfers Totaling $82K [Updated]

Over the past two days, an unknown wallet holder has paid some $5.2 million in transaction fees for two ether transactions.

By Paddy Baker, Wolfie ZhaoJun 10, 2020

Markets

ConsenSys Muscles Into Compliance With New Regulatory Product for DeFi

ConsenSys says its new regulatory compliance product can analyze up to 280,000 different tokens.

By Paddy BakerJun 8, 2020

ConsenSys' co-founder Joe Lubin (Credit: Michael del Castillo)

Markets

Crypto Derivatives Exchange OKEx Launches Options on Ether

Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange OKEx rolled out option contracts on Ethereum’s ether (ETH) token on Thursday, ending the Panama-based Deribit’s virtual monopoly in the space.

By Omkar GodboleJun 5, 2020