Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: Money vs. Application Platform
bitcoin is primarily digital money, optimized for security and scarcity. Ethereum goes further: a programmable platform enabling smart contracts, decentralized apps, and tokenized assets.
Capitalizations Index – B ∞/21M
bitcoin is primarily digital money, optimized for security and scarcity. Ethereum goes further: a programmable platform enabling smart contracts, decentralized apps, and tokenized assets.
bitcoin hard forks and chain splits occur when network participants disagree on protocol rules. Understanding their causes, risks, and outcomes is key to informed participation.
bitcoin mining groups transactions into blocks, verifies them via proof-of-work, and adds them to the blockchain. This process prevents double-spending and secures the decentralized network.
bitcoin cannot be counterfeited because each coin’s ownership is validated by public-key cryptography and a decentralized ledger, making fake transactions mathematically and computationally infeasible.
Running a bitcoin node independently verifies transactions, enforces consensus rules, and removes reliance on third-party services, thereby increasing network resilience and decentralization.
bitcoin’s peer-to-peer cash blueprint removes banks from digital payments. It uses a decentralized network and public ledger to verify, record, and secure transactions.
bitcoin’s official launch began with the Genesis Block on January 3, 2009. Mined by Satoshi Nakamoto, it marked the start of decentralized digital currency and blockchain history.
bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public blockchain ledger, where each block links to the previous one. This transparent system prevents double-spending and enables verification.
bitcoin’s proof of work relies on miners solving complex cryptographic puzzles to validate blocks, secure the network, and make attacks costly through high energy and hardware demands.
bitcoin is the first decentralized digital currency, enabling peer-to-peer transactions without banks. It uses blockchain technology to secure, verify, and record all transfers.