---
title: "Ethereum"
url: "https://worldwiki.io/entity/ethereum"
type: "technology"
language: "en"
official_url: "https://ethereum.org"
updated: "2026-11-12 05:20:00"
independence_score: "22.41"
independent_mentions: "0"
authority_mentions: "0"
---

# Ethereum

Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality, secured by proof-of-stake consensus.

## Key facts

- **Definition (official claim)**: Public blockchain whose Turing-complete Ethereum Virtual Machine runs smart contracts. Each computation step costs gas. [3]
- **Whitepaper published (official claim)**: November 2013, by Vitalik Buterin [4]
- **Native asset**: Ether (ETH) [1]
- **Co-founders (official claim)**: Vitalik Buterin, Gavin Wood, Joseph Lubin, Jeffrey Wilcke, Mihai Alisie, Anthony Di Iorio, Amir Chetrit, Charles Hoskinson [4]
- **Consensus mechanism**: Proof of stake [2]
- **Ether presale (official claim)**: July–August 2014; raised 31,000 BTC (about USD 18 million at the time) [4]
- **Official website**: https://ethereum.org [1]
- **Mainnet launch (Frontier) (official claim)**: 2015-07-30 [4]
- **Beacon Chain launch (official claim)**: 2020-12-01 [5]
- **The Merge (switch from proof-of-work) (official claim)**: 2022-09-15 [5]
- **Energy reduction after The Merge (official claim)**: About 99.95 [5]
- **Latest network upgrade (official claim)**: Fusaka (Fulu-Osaka), 2025-12-03; before that Pectra, 2025-05-07. Next: Glamsterdam, date not set [6]
- **Supporting organization (official claim)**: Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit. It does not control the network, and Ethereum has no CEO [4]
- **US regulatory status**: SEC and CFTC name ether a 'digital commodity', not a security. Protocol staking is not an offer or sale of a security (Release No. 33-11412) [7]
- **South Korea regulatory framework**: Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users (in force 2024-07-19) covers virtual asset service providers: segregated customer assets, market surveillance, FSC/FSS enforcement [8]

## Overview

Ethereum is a public blockchain that runs smart contracts and decentralized applications. Its native asset is ether (ETH). Ethereum operates a mainnet plus several public testnets, and transitioned its consensus to proof-of-stake.

## Related entities

- is a → [Blockchain](https://worldwiki.io/entity/blockchain)
- uses → [Proof of Stake](https://worldwiki.io/entity/proof-of-stake)
- used by → [TwoLegend](https://worldwiki.io/entity/twolegend)

## Related questions

- [Is Ethereum the same as ether (ETH)?](https://worldwiki.io/q/is-ethereum-the-same-as-ether-eth) — No. Ethereum is the blockchain network, and ether (ETH) is its native asset. The network runs smart contracts and decentralized applications. ETH pays the gas fees for using the network, is staked by 
- [What was the Ethereum Merge?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-was-the-ethereum-merge) — The Merge was the September 15, 2022 upgrade in which Ethereum's original proof-of-work mainnet joined the Beacon Chain, a proof-of-stake chain that had been running since December 1, 2020. After it, 
- [How much ETH do you need to stake on Ethereum?](https://worldwiki.io/q/how-much-eth-do-you-need-to-stake-on-ethereum) — Running your own validator requires depositing 32 ETH into Ethereum's deposit contract and running execution, consensus and validator software. Since the Pectra upgrade on May 7, 2025, one validator c
- [What are Ethereum gas fees and why do they change?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-are-ethereum-gas-fees-and-why-do-they-change) — Gas measures the computation a transaction needs, and fees are paid in ETH, usually quoted in gwei (one-billionth of an ETH). Since EIP-1559 (the London upgrade, August 5, 2021), each fee has a base f
- [What is the difference between Ethereum and Bitcoin?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-ethereum-and-bitcoin) — Bitcoin works mainly as a ledger for payments. Ethereum is a programmable state machine: its Ethereum Virtual Machine runs general-purpose smart contracts. Bitcoin uses proof-of-work mining, while Eth

## References

Independent 2/8 · self-published 6

1. [Ethereum networks](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/networks/) — ethereum.org · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/4
2. [Proof-of-stake (PoS)](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/) — ethereum.org · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/5
3. [Ethereum Whitepaper](https://ethereum.org/whitepaper/) — ethereum.org · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/217
4. [History of Ethereum: founder, launch and ownership](https://ethereum.org/ethereum-history-founder-and-ownership/) — ethereum.org (Ethereum Foundation) · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/204
5. [The Merge](https://ethereum.org/roadmap/merge/) — ethereum.org · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/160
6. [Timeline of all Ethereum forks (2014 to present)](https://ethereum.org/ethereum-forks/) — ethereum.org · evidence level C · self · official claim · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/186
7. [SEC and CFTC Issue Interpretive Framework on Digital Assets](https://www.hlc.com/en/publications/sec-and-cftc-issue-interpretive-framework-on-digital-assets) — HLC (law firm) · evidence level D · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/218
8. [Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users (press release)](https://www.fsc.go.kr/eng/pr010101/82683) — Financial Services Commission, Republic of Korea · evidence level A · independent · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/195