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

What Twitter Meme Wars Say About Crypto's Reliance on Figureheads

Cryptocurrency has strayed from its anonymous roots. Today, cults of personality and public histrionics define the sector.

By Leigh CuenDec 4, 2019

Markets

Freedom Fighter or Fool? Jury's Out on Arrested Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith

The case offers a litmus test of sorts: Was Griffith's appearance in North Korea a brazen violation of economic sanctions or a noble act of spreading ethereum's gospel of global reinvention?

By Leigh CuenDec 3, 2019

Virgil Griffith speaks at Consensus: Singapore 2018, photo via CoinDesk archives

Tech

Ethereum Devs Reconsider ‘Difficulty Bomb’ Timing as Hard Forks Loom

Developers may punt a network feature two years down the road to avoid complicating Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake (PoS).

By William FoxleyDec 3, 2019

Policy

Sanctions Weren't Discussed at North Korea Crypto Conference, Attendee Says

The U.S. government's charges against Virgil Griffith are overblown, says one attendee of the North Korean conference that led to the ethereum developer's arrest.

By Brady DaleDec 3, 2019

Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith is accused of violating U.S. sanctions law.

Tech

Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith to Be Released From Jail Pending Trial

A judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice has enough evidence to move a case against ethereum developer Virgil Griffith to trial.

By Brady DaleDec 3, 2019

Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith speaks at Consensus: Singapore 2018

Markets

US Arrests Ethereum Developer for Training North Koreans to Evade Sanctions

After attending a blockchain conference in North Korea in April, a developer at the Ethereum Foundation has been arrested in Los Angeles on Thanksgiving Day.

By Brady DaleNov 29, 2019