Ethereum is the name of the open-source blockchain for the cryptocurrency, Ether.  The blockchain was developed via crowdfunding and launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and its utility is second only to Bitcoin.

Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake helps reduce the energy needed to be a validator for the blockchain. Moreover, the Ethereum blockchain allows independent developers to build decentralized applications (dapps).

Ethereum's smart contracts can self-execute contracts and enforce rules and regulations automatically. NFTs were also first developed on the Ethereum blockchain.