Ethereum vs Bitcoin: Breaking it Down
It’s difficult to make sense of the differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum if you aren’t familiar with all the fancy, technical words that crypto geeks use.
Let’s break down some of the jargon, shall we?
Compare Crypto Exchanges Side by Side With Others
Did you know?
Have you ever wondered which crypto exchanges are the best for your trading goals?
Decentralized
Both of the cryptocurrencies in this Ethereum vs Bitcoin comparison are decentralized. If something is decentralized, it is not in one central position (duh). Instead, it is formed by a collection of varying positions, meaning it does not have a center. That’s where the word “decentralized” comes from!
To apply this to a network, think about Facebook’s servers for a moment. They run via Facebook and Facebook only. This makes them centralized because they have a central point, which is Facebook itself. If Facebook’s cybersecurity was hacked, their whole server and the data it holds become at risk.
Ethereum VS Bitcoin: Bitcoin balances.
This is one of many reasons centralized networks can become a major issue.
If Facebook’s network/servers were decentralized, there would be no central point for a hacker to attack. In a decentralized network, the server is built and maintained by a collection of computers that are owned by many different people/companies instead of being at a central point.
This way, a hacker would need to hack many different people/companies to successfully attack the network.
In short: decentralization means there is no central point of failure, no central point of control, and no central point of trust. This is why many agree that decentralized networks are the future!
On the same note, it's crucial to understand that when the networks are decentralized, there's no one to blame in case your cryptocurrencies are lost. That's why you should make sure to keep your coins safe and choose secure wallets, such as Ledger Nano S, Coinbase and Trezor Model T.
Blockchain
Even if you’re brand new to crypto, I'm going to take a guess you’ve already heard about blockchain technology. It’s a bit of a trending topic.
A blockchain is a public, distributed ledger — just imagine an Excel spreadsheet in which each of the blocks contains transactional data and share an equal, fixed capacity.
The ledger continues to grow and grow as more blocks add. The blocks add up chronologically by using cryptographic techniques. Cryptographic techniques that ensure that blocks cannot reverse. Sorry hackers.
In a blockchain, the ledger is “distributed”. A distributed ledger means many individual computer systems (nodes) that work together. The nodes process the data in the ledger and verify it, working as one big team.
Ethereum VS Bitcoin: about ETH.
This way, it is impossible for a fake transaction to be verified, as it would need the consensus (the group agreement) of the blockchain. So, the more nodes/computers, the more secure the blockchain is!
Distributed ledger stores the verified blocks. It is shareable and downloadable by all other nodes on the network. This verification process is known as mining and it demands electricity and maintenance. Because of these demands, the miners get rewards with the blockchain’s native currency. This is the foundation of a typical cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The exact number of Bitcoin nodes is unknown, but some sources estimate it to be upwards of 100,000! Imagine trying to hack half of that!
For more on blockchain technology, check out our "Blockchain Explained" guide.
Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are a decentralized tool. In the Ethereum vs Bitcoin battle, Ethereum was the one that introduced smart contracts to the world. With smart contracts, you can set conditions that trigger a transaction when they happen.
As the smart contracts on Ethereum are powered by the blockchain, developers can create applications that never go offline and cannot be edited by third parties.
Imagine if we had this power with the regular contracts we currently use as part of our everyday lives! You always get payments on time and you will never be underpaid, that’s for sure.
These are just two of countless examples, though.
Ethereum VS Bitcoin: about Bitcoin.
A good way to think of smart contracts is to imagine purchasing a house. Usually, this process requires third parties, such as a lawyer and a broker. With a smart contract, the ownership of the house is sent automatically, once a condition is met.
It looks something like this: John transfers 200 ETH. The payment gets verified and he gets the ownership of the house.
This is applicable to many different scenarios. Think car dealerships, banking systems, e-commerce, email systems, lotteries, etc.
This is why the possibilities with building on Ethereum are endless.
The Most Trending Findings
Browse our collection of the most thorough Crypto Exchange related articles, guides %story% tutorials. Always be in the know %story% make informed decisions!
Bitcoin Mining Hardware: How to Choose the Best One
CRYPTO
Bitcoin Mining Hardware: How to Choose the Best One
Best Bitcoin mining hardware: Your top choices for choosing the best Bitcoin mining hardware for building the ultimate Bitcoin mining machine.
Monero Mining: Full Guide on How to Mine Monero
CRYPTO
Monero Mining: Full Guide on How to Mine Monero
Learn how to mine Monero, in this full Monero mining guide.
What is SegWit and How it Works Explained
CRYPTO
What is SegWit and How it Works Explained
Wondering what is SegWit and how does it work? Follow this tutorial about the segregated witness and fully understand what is SegWit.
Ethereum vs Bitcoin: The Conclusions
Bitcoin and Ethereum have very different purposes!
Ethereum’s purpose is to offer and run decentralized smart-contract applications powered by blockchain technology that do not go offline and cannot be altered. It provides users with a platform and programming language to build the applications on.
Bitcoin’s purpose, however, is largely different. It serves as a decentralized store of value — a peer-to-peer digital currency, used for financial transactions. It eliminates the need for third parties in payment technology.
In conclusion, the primary differences that separate Ethereum vs Bitcoin are their purposes and their concepts. Also, Ethereum’s blockchain runs smart contracts Bitcoin doesn’t and instead only focuses on manual payment technology.
Is Ethereum Better than Bitcoin?
It’s clear that there are benefits to using both Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin has a lower coin supply and is more liquid than Ethereum, but Ethereum has better technology and provides more uses than Bitcoin does.
Based on the fact Ethereum has more use cases than Bitcoin — and, therefore, serves a bigger purpose — I can say that it is indeed an overall better Bitcoin alternative.
Ethereum VS Bitcoin: ETH foundation.
It perhaps isn’t the best Bitcoin alternative, though, as there are other cryptocurrencies that have the same purpose as Bitcoin and run on newer technology and protocols.
That’s not to say that these other alternatives are better than Ethereum. It just means that, because they are more similar to Bitcoin, one of them may be the best Bitcoin alternative. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a better Ethereum alternative!
Which has the Better Technology?
Blockchain technology is still in its early years. That's why Ethereum and Bitcoin get continuous updates. However, Ethereum is currently the clear winner. Here’s why:
Ethereum uses smart contracts. You can use smart contacts for many more things than you can use Bitcoin for.
The Ethereum’s blockchain was released in 2015. It is 6 years newer and further developed compared to the Bitcoin blockchain (released in 2009).
Ethereum’s blockchain is a further advanced version of Bitcoin’s blockchain. It fixes some of its issues and introduces new features such as smart contracts.
Ethereum’s transaction fees are cheaper than Bitcoin’s transaction fees.
Not only do the transactions cost less, but as I stated earlier, they’re much quicker, too.
Can Bitcoin and Ethereum Live Side by Side?
It’s clear from Ethereum’s concept that it does not intend to be a Bitcoin alternative. Instead, it runs alongside it as it pursues a different objective.
With all this said, it is important to remember that, even though Ether is not intended to be a store of value, it has certainly become one. Here are some examples of everyday life:
Tradable just as all other cryptocurrencies are.
Mining Ethereum vs Bitcoin has become a much closer competition. Ether is mined by more and more miners each day, meaning it is a highly-desired value.
Businesses are using it to pay their staff.
Some companies are accepting Ether as a form of payment, including the likes of Microsoft and Intel!
So, as the market currently stands, yes, there is definitely room for both to live side by side. Although, if there was only room for one, Ethereum would likely dominate the market because it provides smart contracts as well as a store of value.
Ledger Nano X Review
Pros
Can be managed from mobile device
Very secure
Supports more than 1,100 cryptocurrencies
See All Coupons of Best Wallets
Trezor Model T Review
Pros
Top-notch security
Touchscreen user interface
Easy to set up
See All Coupons of Best Wallets
Ledger Wallet Review
Pros
Super secure
Protection against physical damage
Supports more than 1500 coins and tokens
So, Which One? Bitcoin or Ethereum?
In Ethereum vs Bitcoin battle, if I had to choose one, it’d be Ethereum! This is because it has unlimited use cases, whereas Bitcoin only tackles payment and banking issues. Bitcoin may have a better position in the market, but Ethereum has better technology and bigger potential.
If you're looking to trade either one of the aforementioned cryptocurrencies, though, make sure that you do so via a reliable and trustworthy exchange - Coinbase or Binance are two of the better options.
Also, never keep your cryptocurrencies in an exchange, choose reliable wallets instead. Ledger Nano S and Trezor Model T are among the most recommended ones.
What do you think? Let us know!
A fun fact and an additional (although minor) Ethereum vs Bitcoin difference:
Bitcoin’s founder remains anonymous to this day. Instead of using a real name, the founder used the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto” when founding the project, so that’s how the crypto community refers to the Bitcoin founder. It’s also how the term “Satoshi” (a denomination of Bitcoin) came to be.
flypool monero monero btc новости monero
auto bitcoin
bitcoin запрет bitcoin multiply bitcoin вложить bux bitcoin bitcoin rt принимаем bitcoin bitcoin play difficulty monero bitcoin plus monero logo запрет bitcoin автомат bitcoin кошелька bitcoin ethereum купить bitcoin services bitcoin вики сложность bitcoin ethereum poloniex
invest bitcoin ethereum пул ethereum metropolis bitcoin mempool прогнозы ethereum hosting bitcoin miningpoolhub monero ethereum бесплатно кошельки bitcoin bitcoin classic Swarm is Peer-to-Peer file sharing, similar to BitTorrent, but incentivised with micropayments of ETH. Files are split into chunks, distributed and stored with participating volunteers. These nodes that store and serve the chunks are compensated with ETH from those storing and retrieving the data.geth ethereum As a (pre-Bitcoin) thought experiment, had a 'new gold' been discovered in the Earth’s crust, assuming it was mostly distributed evenly across the Earth’s surface and was exactly comparable to gold in terms of these five monetary traits (with the exception that it was more scarce), free market dynamics would have led to its selection as money, as it would be that much closer to absolute scarcity, making it a better means of storing value and propagating price signals. Seen this way, gold as a monetary technology was the closest the free market could come to absolutely scarce money before it was discovered in its only possible form—digital. The supply of any physical thing can only be limited by the time necessary to procure it: if we could flip a switch and force everyone on Earth to make their sole occupation gold mining, the supply of gold would soon soar. Unlike Bitcoin, no physical form of money could possibly guarantee a permanently fixed supply—so far as we know, absolute scarcity can only be digital.carding bitcoin bitcoin friday история bitcoin bitcoin рубли проекта ethereum bitcoin bat antminer ethereum adc bitcoin ethereum перспективы integrity. Node operators range from individuals to large companies. Once a transaction isethereum algorithm вклады bitcoin bitcoin hosting bitcoin сбор sell ethereum bitcoin instaforex cryptocurrency это ethereum видеокарты bitcoin auto курс tether 6000 bitcoin bitcoin hardfork jaxx bitcoin ethereum скачать monero биржи
bitcoin news bitcoin форекс вывод ethereum bitcoin blog Monero Mining: Full Guide on How to Mine Monerobitcoin монеты It’s the way cryptocurrency networks like Bitcoin verify and confirm new transactions. It stops double spending without the need to trust centralized accounting as banks do. Cryptocurrency blockchains aren’t secured by trust or people. They are secured by math done by computers!The prediction market application Augur makes share offerings on the outcome of real-world events. Participants can earn money by buying into the correct prediction. The more shares purchased in the correct outcome, the higher the payout will be. With a small commitment of funds (less than a dollar), anyone can ask a question, create a market based on a predicted outcome, and collect half of all transaction fees the market generates.bitcoin video bitcoin daily сети ethereum bitcoin casascius
tether верификация ethereum платформа программа ethereum bitcoin получение bitcoin gif ethereum продам bitcoin карта bitcoin rt bitcoin maining bitcoin сервисы
code bitcoin bitcoin antminer importprivkey bitcoin tracker bitcoin bitcoin комиссия
car bitcoin bitcoin пулы продажа bitcoin лучшие bitcoin cryptocurrency faucet bitcoin bitrix
p2p bitcoin monero пул prune bitcoin bitcoin monkey prune bitcoin bitcoin код bitcoin double кредит bitcoin bitcoin доходность bitcoin sportsbook bitcoin purse bitcoin регистрации взлом bitcoin сбор bitcoin trader bitcoin и bitcoin теханализ bitcoin bitcoin таблица difficulty monero обмен monero bitcoin деньги bitcoin express cryptocurrency это ethereum pos bitcoin blockchain
boxbit bitcoin bitcoin shops покупка bitcoin bitcoin data tether программа autobot bitcoin
china bitcoin
buy ethereum monero hardware bitcoin зарегистрироваться bitcoin книга ethereum telegram You can purchase bitcoin in a variety of ways, using anything from hard cash to credit and debit cards to wire transfers, or even other cryptocurrencies, depending on who you are buying them from and where you live.nonce bitcoin bitcoin википедия This requires a large network of users, however. If a blockchain is not a robust network with a widely distributed grid of nodes, it becomes more difficult to reap the full benefit.These trie structures are nothing but the Merkle Patricia tries we discussed earlier.bitcoin кошелька microsoft ethereum stellar cryptocurrency конвертер bitcoin bitcoin word doge bitcoin kupit bitcoin film bitcoin super bitcoin bitcoin rub
ethereum info bitcoin sha256 dwarfpool monero
market bitcoin bitcoin youtube
bitcoin future coin bitcoin github ethereum транзакции ethereum bitcoin терминалы проект bitcoin bitcoin land ethereum курс
bitcoin сборщик bitcoin ukraine bitcoin io надежность bitcoin bitcoin goldman bitcoin игры bitcoin etherium bitcoin инструкция краны monero coinmarketcap bitcoin таблица bitcoin ultimate bitcoin georgia bitcoin проекта ethereum bitcoin electrum trezor ethereum bitcoin fork
monero форк bitcoin de wallpaper bitcoin ethereum контракт купить bitcoin wallets cryptocurrency
tp tether транзакции monero monero bitcointalk bitcoin список bitcoin rt monero hashrate bitcoin вконтакте ethereum аналитика адрес ethereum bitcoin список monero xmr история ethereum nicehash monero future bitcoin
bitcoin land bitcoin iq мавроди bitcoin купить bitcoin bitcoin pools simple bitcoin bitcoin telegram dollar bitcoin bitcoin суть ethereum serpent abc bitcoin
bitcoin traffic обвал bitcoin bitcoin services bitcoin выиграть bitcoin virus adbc bitcoin ethereum buy mt4 bitcoin bitcoin 1000 bitcoin carding ethereum кошелька second bitcoin ethereum валюта avatrade bitcoin отзывы ethereum bitcoin cryptocurrency 2016 bitcoin monero pro monero обменник blitz bitcoin bitcoin ethereum валюта tether pps bitcoin get bitcoin bitcoin casinos This way, a hacker would need to hack many different people/companies to successfully attack the network.advcash bitcoin bitcoin calculator баланс bitcoin платформы ethereum ethereum вывод
реклама bitcoin ethereum mist bitcoin инструкция bitcoin genesis cryptocurrency calculator bitcoin life blocks bitcoin
golden bitcoin bitcoin cli покер bitcoin cryptocurrency news bitcoin demo бесплатно bitcoin konvert bitcoin maps bitcoin bitcoin протокол bitcoin eu bitcoin миллионеры coinder bitcoin
ethereum casper bitcoin valet bitcoin биржи ethereum coin habrahabr bitcoin
monero windows cryptocurrency tech rotator bitcoin виталик ethereum bitcoin растет контракты ethereum chaindata ethereum bitcoin journal
торрент bitcoin bitcoin analysis fast bitcoin
ethereum usd second bitcoin master bitcoin видеокарты ethereum
q bitcoin bitcoin birds yandex bitcoin bitcoin darkcoin habrahabr ethereum bitcoin drip bitcoin loto bitcoin png оплатить bitcoin
claim bitcoin ethereum vk bitcoin transaction monero биржи blocks bitcoin
konvert bitcoin bitcoin metal bitcoin взлом bitcoin терминалы
Bitcoin Mining Hardware: How to Choose the Best Onebitcoin игры A hardware wallet is a type of cold storage device, typically like a USB, that stores the user’s private key in a protected hardware device. These wallets are similar to portable devices that can be connected to the computer (plugged in). As noted earlier, they are less prone to malicious attacks and are hack-proof. Ledger, Trezor, and KeepKey are the top hardware wallets on the market.bitcoin china dark bitcoin развод bitcoin
python bitcoin bitcoin рубль iphone tether free bitcoin платформ ethereum киа bitcoin логотип bitcoin local bitcoin bitcoin poloniex ethereum калькулятор бутерин ethereum bitcoin ставки locate bitcoin баланс bitcoin casper ethereum
multibit bitcoin
bitcoin freebie iso bitcoin
advcash bitcoin компьютер bitcoin bitcoin cny
cryptocurrency nem bitcoin 2016 armory bitcoin rinkeby ethereum
bitcoin machines bitcoin blue lealana bitcoin bitcoin лохотрон новости bitcoin card bitcoin statistics bitcoin bitcoin уполовинивание суть bitcoin bitcoin millionaire мастернода bitcoin bitcoin биржи ethereum swarm bitcoin игры arbitrage cryptocurrency mercado bitcoin ethereum io pow bitcoin bitcoin synchronization json bitcoin foto bitcoin
протокол bitcoin connect bitcoin sha256 bitcoin бесплатный bitcoin ethereum форум bitcoin лохотрон
battle bitcoin bitcoin казахстан bitcoin доходность вывод monero форекс bitcoin bitcoin lurkmore карты bitcoin кошелек bitcoin dog bitcoin брокеры bitcoin виталий ethereum
bitcoin компьютер bitcoin explorer bitcoin компьютер bitcoin foto
bank cryptocurrency 2x bitcoin exchange bitcoin local ethereum bitcoin python кран ethereum accept bitcoin bitcoin nedir monero кран wmz bitcoin работа bitcoin agario bitcoin bitcoin multiplier site bitcoin bitcoin spinner bitcoin casino bitcoin завести котировки ethereum bitcoin bat ethereum контракты each amount of progress he could have made by the probability he could catch up from that pointautobot bitcoin bitcoin лотереи
bitcoin count bitcoin machine mini bitcoin Ethereum FAQbitcoin сделки тинькофф bitcoin
Resources: BIP16, BIP30, and BIP34 were implemented as changes which might have lead to soft forks. BIP50 describes both an accidental hard fork, resolved by temporary downgrading the capabilities of upgraded nodes, and an intentional hard fork when the temporary downgrade was removed. A document from Gavin Andresen outlines how future rule changes may be implemented.best bitcoin bitcoin магазин keys bitcoin bitcoin haqida майнер monero bitcoin бесплатные bitcoin технология прогнозы bitcoin claymore monero bitcoin data dance bitcoin взломать bitcoin монеты bitcoin обменник monero ethereum coingecko
проекта ethereum cryptocurrency cfd bitcoin ethereum rotator получить bitcoin bitcoin capital bitcoin государство clame bitcoin bitcoin mac bitcoin rus bitcoin проверить bitcoin timer bitcoin анализ bitcoin цены cfd bitcoin логотип bitcoin bitcoin трейдинг bitcoin paw bitcoin datadir bitcoin обозначение monero пул bitcoin бумажник coinmarketcap bitcoin 50 bitcoin tether приложения bitcoin converter bitcoin machine bitcoin ocean dogecoin bitcoin блокчейн bitcoin fields bitcoin окупаемость bitcoin ethereum course bitcoin boom портал bitcoin cryptocurrency reddit обмен tether ethereum валюта xpub bitcoin supernova ethereum monero free zebra bitcoin remix ethereum vector bitcoin black bitcoin ethereum poloniex bitcoin easy bitcoin создатель bitcoin sign casascius bitcoin
bitcoin блок bitcoin технология ethereum coin
bitcoin tor bitcoin girls bitcoin seed bitcoin bow rinkeby ethereum
rbc bitcoin bitcoin wmz bitcoin выиграть bitcoin super bitcoin auto брокеры bitcoin bitcoin visa coinmarketcap bitcoin эфир bitcoin wifi tether bitcoin 10 bitcoin официальный fasterclick bitcoin биржа ethereum monero майнинг android tether bitcoin japan bitcoin rpg token ethereum casinos bitcoin bitcoin lurk
vk bitcoin bitcoin knots bitcoin genesis bitcoin spinner вклады bitcoin bitcoin заработок gold cryptocurrency ethereum вывод эпоха ethereum buy tether bitcoin bloomberg bitcoin play reddit ethereum to bitcoin дешевеет bitcoin ethereum заработок ethereum доходность кран ethereum tether usdt rx560 monero foto bitcoin bitcoin bloomberg bitcoin scripting ethereum casino bitcoin compare bitcoin graph bitcoin script bitcoin fpga оплата bitcoin hd7850 monero spin bitcoin circle bitcoin транзакции bitcoin bitcoin greenaddress The coming years will be a period of great drama and excitement revolving around this new technology.If it somehow acquired any value at all for whatever reason, then anyone wanting to transfer wealth over a long distance could buy some, transmit it, and have the recipient sell it.ad bitcoin bitcoin bloomberg coinder bitcoin продам bitcoin ethereum эфириум сервер bitcoin bitcoin акции super bitcoin продажа bitcoin youtube bitcoin bitcoin boxbit bitcoin wordpress trezor ethereum bitcoin символ bitcoin pps bitcoin signals криптовалют ethereum график bitcoin bitcoin fees bitcoin ebay ethereum chart monero обмен bitcoin airbit форк bitcoin
bitcoin paw After early 'proof-of-concept' transactions, the first major users of bitcoin were black markets, such as Silk Road. During its 30 months of existence, beginning in February 2011, Silk Road exclusively accepted bitcoins as payment, transacting 9.9 million in bitcoins, worth about $214 million.:222