ETHEREUM - The dawn of WEB3 [Pt 3]

[Part 3 in our web3 learning series] 

 

The Ethereum blockchain is one of the most significant technological advancements in the last decade, powering the decentralized applications (Dapps) that have transformed multiple industries. While it was only launched in 2015, the platform has already revolutionized the way we create and manage applications on the internet.

 

Ethereum was first proposed in 2013 by Vitalik Buterin, a Canadian-Russian programmer who was heavily involved in the cryptocurrency community. Buterin was unsatisfied with the limitations of the Bitcoin blockchain, which focused solely on being a peer-to-peer currency system. He believed that a blockchain could be used for more than just financial transactions and that it could provide a platform for creating decentralized applications.

 

The Ethereum blockchain works differently from Bitcoin. While Bitcoin focuses solely on the transfer of value, the Ethereum blockchain allows developers to create smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts that can automatically carry out the terms specified in their code. Smart contracts can be designed to perform a wide range of tasks, including financial transactions, digital identity verification, and even voting systems.

 

The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the runtime environment that executes the smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. The EVM is a Turing-complete virtual machine, meaning that it can perform any computation that can be done by any computer language.

 

The Ethereum blockchain was launched in 2015, following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised over $18 million worth of Bitcoin. Since then, the platform has undergone several upgrades, including the most significant upgrade called Ethereum 2.0, which moved from the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to Proof of Stake (PoS). This upgrade aims to increase the network's scalability, reduce transaction costs, and improve transaction speed.

 

One of the key features of Ethereum is its ability to create decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). DAOs are decentralized entities that operate through smart contracts, and they have the potential to transform the traditional organizational structure, making it more democratic, transparent, and decentralized.

 

Ethereum has been used to create a wide range of Dapps, including financial protocols, games, prediction markets, and social networks. The development of these Dapps is made more accessible by the Ethereum blockchain's coding feature, Solidity, a language designed specifically for developing smart contracts.

 

In conclusion, Ethereum has revolutionized the blockchain industry by providing a platform for developing decentralized applications through smart contracts. Its innovative features have opened up a world of possibilities in terms of what can be achieved through blockchain technology. While still a relatively young platform, Ethereum has already made significant strides, and it will be exciting to see how it develops in the years to come.

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Follow the rest of the series here: 

PART 1 - Blockchain Technology: A Beginner's Guide

PART 2 - BITCOIN - It all started with $BTC 

PART 3 - ETHEREUM - The dawn of WEB3

PART 4 - 

PART 5 -