Happy 10th birthday, Ethereum! It’s crazy to think that the most famous altcoin is only still a kid. But so much has happened since a beautifully weird pimply kid-genius turned his attention to Web3.

Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian prodigy with an IQ rumored to be 257, was a fan of Bitcoin, even in its early days. At the time, Bitcoin was a peer-to-peer type of “money” that couldn’t be manipulated by governments or banks, theoretically. But for Buterin, it wasn’t enough. He wanted a blockchain where developers could build things. And he wanted it to have its own cryptocurrency.

By 2013, at the ripe age of 19, Vitalik scribbled down the Ethereum whitepaper, and rallied a dream team: Gavin Wood, Charles Hoskinson, Anthony Di Iorio, Joseph Lubin, and others. They crowdfunded $18 million in Bitcoin, and on July 30, 2015, Ethereum’s mainnet went live. Ether (ETH), the native cryptocurrency, traded at under US$1 per ETH. 

The founding team didn’t exactly hold hands and sing kumbaya. Charles Hoskinson left to start Cardano, and others peeled off over disagreements, like whether Ethereum should be a nonprofit (Vitalik’s call, which won). There was more drama than on Home and Away when Alf hit Angel with his car right before her wedding and she had to flail down the aisle.

On ETH’s 10th birthday, the cryptocurrency is trading at US$3,840. While it hasn’t hit its all-time-high (ATH) price in time for the decade milestone, it might not be that far off its peak price of US$4,878.

Ethereum’s Greatest Hits

While Ethereum will never be Bitcoin with its gold-standard vibe, here’s what the Ethereum crew has nailed over the past decade.

Smart Contracts

Ethereum introduced self-executing code that runs without middlemen. This was game-changing, enabling everything from automated agreements to complex financial systems. It was akin to giving the internet a lawyer who never sleeps, without needing the lines of cocaine snorted off the photocopier.

DeFi Revolution

Decentralised finance (DeFi) exploded on Ethereum, letting people lend, borrow, and trade without banks. Platforms like Uniswap and Aave turned Ethereum into a financial playground. People who had lost patience with their banks were delighted.

NFT Mania

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) became a cultural phenomenon, from CryptoKitties clogging the network in 2017 to Bored Apes and digital art fetching millions. A lot of NFT activity took place thanks to Ethereum.

The Merge

In 2022, Ethereum ditched energy-hungry proof-of-work for proof-of-stake, slashing its energy use by 99%. Tree huggers were happy, until AI came along at least.

Why the upward pressure on the price of ETH? 

The latest breakthrough for crypto in general is the way the USA has changed regulation. The White House has recently signed the GENIUS Act into law. 

In simple terms this means that stablecoins have been legitimised. Ethereum hosts 54% of stablecoin transactions (e.g., USDC, USDT), making it a critical infrastructure for this sector. 

The GENIUS Act also boosts institutional confidence, meaning that large corporations feel they can move into the cryptocurrency, increasing demand. For example, U.S. spot ETH ETFs saw record inflows in the past few days. 

Large ETH holders (whales) are accumulating more ETH, signalling long-term confidence.

Where Ethereum is Today as a 10-year-old

As of July 31, 2025, Ethereum is a mature yet evolving beast. The mainnet processes millions of transactions daily, supporting DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and even decentralised social platforms like Farcaster. 

The Ethereum Foundation, with nearly US$10 billion in ETH reserves, funds research and grants to keep the ecosystem buzzing.

Looking Ahead: Ethereum’s Next Decade

Ethereum’s first 10 years were a rollercoaster of innovation, growth, and unfortunately, hacks. As it heads into its teens, expect more scaling solutions and privacy tech.

Don’t forget though, that it is entirely possible for the Ethereum Network to create amazing things while the price of ETH drops dramatically. This is crypto after all, and we all know that it is a ride of volatility like no other. You could end up with a megayacht, or have to run into the night without your pants. So, make good choices kids! 

Happy birthday, Ethereum! Here’s to another decade of decentralised dreams.

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