Ethereum was proposed by Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian programmer, in late 2013. He aimed to create a platform that would allow developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) using a new programming language. Buterin's vision was to extend the capabilities of blockchain technology beyond just cryptocurrency, which led to the development of smart contracts.

In 2014, Buterin co-founded Ethereum with several key figures:

  • Charles Hoskinson: An American entrepreneur who was briefly the CEO of Ethereum before leaving due to disagreements about the project's structure.
  • Anthony Di Iorio: An early Bitcoin proponent who contributed significantly to Ethereum's branding and marketing.
  • Mihai Alisie: A Swiss entrepreneur who helped establish the legal and financial foundation for Ethereum.
  • Joseph Lubin: A computer scientist who co-founded the Ethereum Foundation and created ConsenSys, a startup focused on Ethereum infrastructure.
  • Gavin Wood: The creator of the Ethereum yellow paper and the first Ethereum testnet.
  • Jeffrey Wilcke: A programmer who developed Go Ethereum (Geth), a popular implementation of the Ethereum protocol.

Ethereum's Key Features

  • Smart Contracts: Self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code.
  • Decentralized Applications (dApps): Applications that run on a peer-to-peer network rather than being hosted on centralized servers.
  • Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM): A runtime environment for executing smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.

Sample Code: A Simple Smart Contract


pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

contract SimpleStorage {
    uint256 storedData;

    function set(uint256 x) public {
        storedData = x;
    }

    function get() public view returns (uint256) {
        return storedData;
    }
}

This simple smart contract allows users to store and retrieve a number. It demonstrates the basic functionality of smart contracts on the Ethereum platform.

Conclusion

Ethereum has revolutionized the blockchain space by enabling developers to create a wide range of applications beyond cryptocurrency. Its decentralized nature and the involvement of numerous contributors have made it a leading platform in the blockchain ecosystem.