2. Ethereum (ETH)

The Platform That Built an Empire

Ethereum did something Bitcoin couldn’t—it became programmable. At $1,921 per coin, ETH powers the entire ecosystem of decentralized apps and smart contracts. Developers build entire projects on top of Ethereum, which is why it’s ecosystem is massive. The downside? When the network gets crowded, those gas fees can sting. Still, 10% of the entire crypto market cap belongs to Ethereum.

[IMAGE: Ethereum blockchain smart contract visualization]