The first worthy challenger to Bitcoin was the pioneer altcoin Ethereum (ETH). Co-founded by Vitalik Buterin, Gavin Wood, Charles Hoskinson, Anthony Di lorio, and Joseph Lubin, the consortium began to develop the blockchain in 2014. After going live on July 30, 2015, the Ethereum network took the world by storm.
As the first blockchain network to introduce smart contracts, Ethereum opened up a new world of possibilities for blockchain technology and allowed for the rapid growth of web3 adoption and growth. The network’s native token Ether (ETH) became the world’s first altcoin. The trustless interactions of this blockchain soon led to the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).
Crypto gaming also made its debut on the Ethereum blockchain via the crypto NFT game CryptoKitties. This led to the NFT boom leading to the opening of the first NFT marketplace, OpenSea. As more and more users flocked to the Ethereum network, it was inevitable for the platform to face congestion and gas fees issues, considering its consensus model at the time.
As a solution, Ethereum 2.0 came to be. The platform shifted to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism from its previous Proof-of-Work mechanism and now is pleased to offer lower gas fees and faster transactions. Thus, Ethereum continues to adapt and improve its blockchain to meet the demands of the industry and Crypto News Land will ensure that you won’t miss a single update from this leading innovation blockchain platform.