Ethereum

Ethereum is second trading cryptocurrency after Bitcoin in the hierarchy of top cryptocurrency and undoubtedly one of the most promising ones among the top cryptocurrency to invest besides bitcoin 2018.

It has shown impressive growth rates in the year 2017, proving itself as a game changer and a rival to Bitcoin. Although Ethereum operates publicly like Bitcoin, it comes with some features of its own.

Created by 19-year-old Vitalik Buterin in 2015, Ethereum is a decentralized software platform that enables smart contracts and Distributed Applications (ĐApps) to be built and run without any downtime, fraud, control or interference from a third party.

The biggest difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum is the use of blockchains. While Bitcoin's blockchain records contracts, showing how digital funds have moved from one place to another, Etherum has expanded this concept.

The Ethereum blockchain uses a far more complex scripting language, and its smart contracts can form complex applications that have a broad range of potential uses.

Due to the Ethereum features and its potential to change the world forever, it has caught everyone's attention including corporations like Microsoft, Mastercard, BP, National Bank of Canada, Intel, Samsung, Toyota, Cisco, and other market giants.

In 2016, an Ethereum-based VC known as The DAO amassed a huge amount of ether in a crowd sale, just to have almost a third stolen by a hacker. The event shook the online community, leading to a huge price drop.

Following the attack on the DAO in 2016, Ethereum was split into Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC). But Ethereum price is stable since then maintaining good growth rate.

The market cap of Ethereum has slipped at third after Bitcoin and Ripple coinat the start of 2018$30,993,709,186 with a price of around 1050 US Dollars. Some experts even predict within 5 years Ethereum price will surpass Bitcoin.