1. The Origins of Ethereum

Ethereum was launched in 2015 by a team led by Vitalik Buterin, building on the foundation of Bitcoin but with a broader vision: a blockchain not only for money, but for programmable applications.

Where Bitcoin is primarily a store of value and medium of exchange, Ethereum’s innovation lies in its smart contract platform—code that runs exactly as programmed without downtime, fraud, or interference.

2. Is ETH Worth Anything?

Yes—and its value comes from utility, scarcity, and network adoption.

• Utility: ETH is the “fuel” (known as gas) that powers transactions and smart contracts on the Ethereum network.
  

• Scarcity: While ETH has no fixed maximum supply like Bitcoin, the 2021 EIP-1559 upgrade introduced a burning mechanism that can make ETH deflationary during high network activity.
  

• Adoption: Ethereum hosts the largest ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps), DeFi platforms, and NFT marketplaces, giving ETH intrinsic demand.

3. ETH Fundamentals: How Does Ethereum Work?

At its core:

• Blockchain: Records all transactions and smart contract executions.
  

• Smart Contracts: Self-executing code deployed on-chain, enabling dApps from decentralized exchanges to digital art platforms.
  

• Proof of Stake (PoS): Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work to PoS in 2022’s “Merge,” making the network more energy-efficient and enabling staking rewards.
  

• Validators: Participants who stake ETH to help secure the network and process transactions.

4. How to “Make” ETH

You can acquire ETH by:

1. Staking: Locking ETH to validate transactions and earn rewards.
   

2. Buying: Through exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken.
   

3. Earning: Accepting ETH as payment for goods or services.
   

4. Participating in DeFi: Earning ETH through yield farming, liquidity provision, or other on-chain activities.
   

Mining ETH is no longer possible after the PoS transition—staking is now the primary network participation method.

5. What Is Ethereum Used For?

• Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Borrowing, lending, and trading without intermediaries.
  

• NFTs: Minting, buying, and selling unique digital assets.
  

• dApps: From gaming to supply chain tracking.
  

• Tokenization: Creating and managing new digital tokens (ERC-20, ERC-721, etc.).
  

• Smart Contract Automation: Replacing manual agreements with trustless code.

6. Is Ethereum a Good Investment?

Ethereum has delivered strong long-term returns, but it’s a technology platform as much as an asset, meaning its value is tied to ongoing adoption and innovation. Key points:

• Growth Potential: The largest ecosystem in crypto, with continued developer activity and upgrades like sharding for scalability.
  

• Volatility: ETH can experience sharp price swings—both risks and opportunities for investors.
  

• Evolving Economics: The burn mechanism plus staking rewards can affect supply dynamics over time.
  

For many, ETH serves as both an investment in blockchain infrastructure and a gateway to the broader crypto economy.

7. Why Learning Matters

Ethereum isn’t just “Bitcoin with extra features”—it’s a global computing platform with its own economics, governance, and developer community. A structured course can help you:

• Understand how smart contracts really work.
  

• Evaluate DeFi and NFT projects critically.
  

• Use staking, yield farming, and dApps safely and profitably.
  

Knowledge here isn’t optional—it’s the foundation for confident participation.

Bitcoin vs Ethereum: A Side-by-Side Comparison