Ethereum
Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain with smart contract functionality. Ether is the native cryptocurrency of the platform. Among cryptocurrencies, ether is second only to bitcoin in market capitalization. It is open-source software.
Some of the key events about Ethereum
- 2013Ethereum project was conceptualized and proposed as a decentralized platform for smart contracts
- 2014Ethereum Foundation was established to support the development of the Ethereum protocol
- 2015Ethereum mainnet was officially launched, introducing the world's first programmable blockchain
- 2016The Ethereum network successfully implemented its first hard fork, "Homestead", improving security and stability
- 2016The DAO hack resulted in the theft of approximately $50 million worth of Ether
- 2016A contentious hard fork split the Ethereum network into Ethereum and Ethereum Classic
- 2017Enterprise Ethereum Alliance was formed to connect Fortune 500 enterprises, startups, and academics with Ethereum experts
- 2017CryptoKitties game caused significant network congestion and increased transaction fees
- 2018Ethereum became the first blockchain to process over one million transactions in a single day
- 2018Discovery of a critical vulnerability in the Parity wallet froze over $280 million worth of Ether
- 2018The SEC declared that Ether was not a security, leading to regulatory uncertainty
- 2019Istanbul hard fork was implemented, enhancing the network's performance and reducing gas costs
- 2019Constantinople hard fork was delayed due to the discovery of a critical security vulnerability
- 2020Ethereum 2.0's Beacon Chain was launched, marking the beginning of the transition to Proof-of-Stake
- 2020High gas fees and network congestion during DeFi boom made Ethereum less accessible for smaller transactions
- 2021The London hard fork introduced EIP-1559, revolutionizing Ethereum's fee market and token economics
- 2021London hard fork introduced EIP-1559, causing controversy among miners due to reduced mining rewards
- 2022The Merge was successfully completed, transitioning Ethereum from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake
- 2022The Merge transition to Proof-of-Stake raised centralization concerns
- 2023Shapella upgrade experienced initial technical difficulties during its implementation
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.