Ethereum is the name of the open-source blockchain for the cryptocurrency, Ether, which is the second most popular cryptocurrency, after Bitcoin. It was developed via crowdfunding and launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, a Canadian-Russian programmer. On September 2022, Ethereum transitioned from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake which helped in reducing the energy needed to be a validator for the blockchain. 

Moreover, the Ethereum platform allows independent developers to build decentralized applications (dapps). Ethereum uses smart contracts which can self-execute contracts and enforces rules and regulation automatically. Some of the dapps built in the Ethereum blockchain are IDEX, My Crypto Heroes, Status, Chainlink, and many more.