Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: What's the Difference?

 Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: An Overview 

Ether (ETH), the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, is arguably the second most popular digital token after bitcoin (BTC). Indeed, as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, comparisons between Ether and BTC are only natural.

Ether and bitcoin are similar in many ways: each is a digital currency traded via online exchanges and stored in various types of cryptocurrency wallets. Both of these tokens are decentralized, meaning that they are not issued or regulated by a central bank or other authority. Both make use of the distributed ledger technology known as blockchain. 

KEY TAKEAWAYs

• Bitcoin signaled the emergence of a radically new form of digital money that operates outside the control of any government or corporation.
• With time, people began to realize that one of the underlying innovations of bitcoin, the blockchain, could be utilized for other purposes. 
• Ethereum proposed to utilize blockchain technology not only for maintaining a decentralized payment network but also for storing computer code which can be used to power tamper-proof decentralized financial contracts and applications.
• Ethereum applications and contracts are powered by ether, the Ethereum network’s currency.
• Ether was intended to complement rather than compete with bitcoin, but it has nonetheless emerged as a competitor on cryptocurrency exchanges.