Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source, and distributed computing platform that enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications, also known as dapps. Ethereum was initially launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin. The main difference between Ethereum and Bitcoin is that while Bitcoin focuses on being a digital currency, Ethereum focuses on running the programming code of any decentralized application.One of the key benefits of using Ethereum is that it allows for more complex applications to be built than what can be done with Bitcoin. For example, you can use Ether (the native currency of the Ethereum network) to pay for goods or services within a dapp. You can also use Ether to reward participants who help run your dapp or to penalize them if they don’t meet certain criteria. This makes it possible to create truly trustless applications where users don’t have to worry about things like cheating or fraud.Another benefit of using Ethereum is that it has an active community behind it which continually develops new features and enhancements for the network. In fact, many popular blockchain projects such as Golem and Augur were first developed on top of the Ethereum network before being ported over to their own independent blockchains later on. If you’re looking for a robust platform upon which you can build your next great dapp idea, then look no further than ETH.