Ether

Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, functioning as a fuel for operations within the network. It serves multiple purposes: as a digital currency, it can be bought, sold, and held as an investment; as a utility token, it's used to pay for transaction fees and computational services on the Ethereum network. Ether is integral to running decentralized applications (dApps) and executing smart contracts on Ethereum, providing the necessary resources for these operations. As Ethereum evolves, especially with upgrades like Ethereum 2.0, Ether's role remains central, facilitating not just transactions but also the broader ecosystem of decentralized finance (DeFi) and various blockchain-based applications.


Finance

Terra’s LUNA Passes Ether to Become Second-Largest Staked Asset

Some $30 billion worth of the tokens are staked by users to earn yields of just under 7%.

(Shutterstock)

Markets

First Mover Asia: China’s Potential SWIFT Competitor CIPS Won't Help Russia Much; Bitcoin, Ether Rise Again

The Chinese system has just 75 members and processes only a fraction of the transactions that SWIFT handles.

Kyiv. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Videos

How Ukrainian Government Is Using Crypto to Fight Against Russia Invasion

Michael Chobanian, Founder of Ukrainian crypto exchange KUNA, comes back to “First Mover” to discuss the growing role of cryptocurrency in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Chobanian explains how crowdfunded crypto is being used to fund military aid, food and petroleum supplies.

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Markets

Cryptos Retain Gains as Ukraine Security Crisis Continues to Deteriorate

Talks between the two sides appear to have led nowhere.

Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation wants crypto exchanges to block Russian users. (Lucy Shires/Getty)

Markets

SOL, ETH Rise With Bitcoin as War Continues After Russia, Ukraine Hold Peace Talks

Bitcoin's record-breaking daily gains trickled down to Solana, ether, and other layer-1s as the market factors in a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

Solana (Zack Seward/CoinDesk archives)

Markets

First Mover Asia: The Petroyuan Is No Russia Sanctions Buster; Bitcoin 15% Gain Is Largest in a Year as Investors See Opportunity for Crypto

The People's Bank of China maintains strict capital controls over the country's currency; bitcoin rose over $43,000 and most other major cryptos were well into the green.

(Swift)

Markets

Crypto Funds See Inflows Globally Despite Exodus From European Products

A net $36 million went into digital-asset funds last week with major outflows in Europe but large inflows in the Americas.

A net $36 million went into digital-asset funds last week with major outflows in Europe but large inflows in the Americas.

Markets

Bank of America Sees No Crypto Winter Given User Adoption, Developer Activity Growth

Still, crypto market upside will likely be limited for the next six months by Fed tightening and macro headwinds.

(Shutterstock)

Finance

Crypto Donations to Ukraine Jump to $20M

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Chain.com CEO Deepak Thapliyal have contributed.

Ukranian Flag (Getty Images)

Markets

First Mover Asia: BitMEX Saga Concludes, but We'll Never Know if DOJ Overreached; Cryptos Tumble as Russia Bores Into Ukraine

The guilty plea of the founders of the crypto trading platform with main offices in Hong Kong and Singapore avoided a trial; bitcoin dropped below $37,500 on Sunday after Russian President Vladimir Putin placed his nuclear forces on alert.

The national yellow and blue flag of Ukraine (Valentyn Semenov/Getty)