ethereum_oder_bitcoin

Bitcoin vs Ethereum – Which one is Better?

With all of the commotion going on in the world of cryptocurrency, some interesting questions arise. A lot of people still feel they need to choose between Bitcoin or Ethereum, because one of them “has” to be better than the other. That is not the case by any means, as both ecosystems are trying to do things entirely. However, there are some aspects of both currencies which can be referred to as “being better than” its counterpart.

3. The Technology Battle

On paper, one could argue Bitcoin is better than any other cryptocurrency, token, or digital asset because those other offerings would not be around, were it not for Bitcoin. In this regard, the popular cryptocurrency has a leg up over any other currency in existence. Bitcoin will always be the first “major” cryptocurrency, and it has been around for 9 years now. Ethereum, on the other hand, only came to market a few years ago.

That being said, Ethereum offers some interesting pieces of technology. Smart contracts have been quite a revolutionary technology, although the same concept will be part of the Bitcoin protocol soon. Bitcoin has a disturbing lack of decentralized application possibilities, which makes Ethereum seem “better” in this regard. Then again, there is no “major” decentralized application in existence to be embraced by mainstream society either. Ethereum has a technological edge over Bitcoin, but until it is used by the masses, it is a matter of semantics.

2. Number of Coins

When we look at the available supply of currency, Bitcoin is clearly more scarce than Ethereum. In fact, Bitcoin has a hard coin supply cap of 21 million BTC. Ethereum has over 92 million coins in circulation, with more being mined every day. Even when Ethereum switches to proof of stake, it will remain an inflationary currency to some degree. A lot of people tend to overlook this fact, although it is certainly worth taking into consideration.

Not knowing how many ETH will be in circulation at its peak is somewhat disconcerting. A lot of Ethereum enthusiasts will shrug this off and claim it doesn’t matter. Rest assured such “details” should matter to everyone who gets involved in any cryptocurrency. Ethereum is not the only currency without a fixed maximum supply cap right now, but given its current market cap, it could become an issue over time. Bitcoin is better in this regard, as there is no confusion regarding the available supply.

1. Speculation

From a speculative point of view, both Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen significant value gains over the past year. In the case of Bitcoin, these gains have been smaller percentage-wise. Then again, Bitcoin was created well before Ethereum and has seen its value increase steadily over the years. Ethereum’s value suddenly picked up over the past year and a half. Whether or not that trend can be sustained over the long term, remains to be seen.

At the same time, the Ethereum price is still linked to the Bitcoin price. When Bitcoin goes up, Ethereum will often go down a bit until it stabilizes. As Bitcoin declines in value, Ethereum either goes down along with it, or sees a small gain. These values often correct themselves within mere hours, though. Right now, Bitcoin is clearly the bullish currency of the two, whereas Ethereum is trying to stabilize. All cryptocurrencies depend on what Bitcoin is doing, and Ethereum is no exception.

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About The Author

JP Buntinx is a FinTech and Bitcoin enthusiast living in Belgium. His passion for finance and technology made him one of the world's leading freelance Bitcoin writers, and he aims to achieve the same level of respect in the FinTech sector.

Nice article, thank you.

This article is not accurate. There is 30% of bitcoin coins that are ‘Lost’, and actually when Bit drops so does Eth, when Bit raises, so does Eth. They are tied very closely to each other. Not in the manner the writer noted. Research before you talk.

You are correct!

Ethereum is garbage.
2008 showed everyone the predatory nature of banks.
The solution Satoshi Nakamoto came up with was to disintermediate the banks entirely. People are corruptible, math is not.
If people want to spurn Nakamoto’s gift and trust bankers with Ripple, Ethereum, etc that’s their business.
I have no doubt that anyone using banker crypto, having forgotten the past, will be doomed to repeat it.

“Ethereum is garbage” – upset that there’s something out there that actually has some utility, that people – and businesses, including banks – are actually using to drive value and efficiency, rather than just hoard like Bitcoin?

Dude is obviously a Bitcoin fanboy. Just look at his comment history. He feels the pressure building because Ethereum is in such high demand. He fears “The Flippening”. In case you haven’t heard, that is when Ethereum will overtake Bitcoin as the new dominant currency. Many Bitcoin fanboys are terrified of what Ethereum is doing right now.

I’ve caught these Ethereum trolls shilling on almost every Bitcoin forum!
Same tactics almost verbatim, no facts and personal attacks, fake names and empty profiles on Facebook.

How much do they pay you to troll Bitcoin forums?
Let’s hope they pay you in something other than Ethereum because in spite of your attacks, Ethereum is a fundamentally bad cryptocurrency.

“Ethereum is garbage” congratulations on being one of the only people on the planet who has this opinion.

No cap on total unit, and a rewritable blockchain…No thanks.

Yeah, because that’s why Bitcoin was originally created. May I remind you that the primary users base of Bitcoin used to be criminals, and to some extent still is. Bitcoin is only the dominant cryptocurrency right now because it is the oldest. The world hasn’t seen anything like Ethereum since Bitcoin, and I think you know it. Ethereum is what Bitcoin should have been all along. If you think Ethereum is garbage, then I’m guessing you have a lot invested in Bitcoin and are scared to death because you know Ethereum is a superior product and will very probably overthrow Bitcoin as the dominant cryptocurrency. If you based your opinion on reality and not just loyalty because of your investment, you would know that Ethereum is a much better solution.

The “primary users base” of Bitcoin has never been criminals. That would be like saying the primary user base of cash was bank robbers, lol.
A few, much publicized cases were used to make headlines and cast aspersions on Bitcoin.
By dollar value the banks themselves were far more guilty of laundering money for drug cartels and financial fraud as in the case of toxic securities. The list goes on, but how about the latest case of fraud by Wells Fargo, does that justify saying “a majority of banks are engaged in criminal fraud”?

As far as Ethereum is concerned there are some very real flaws.
There is no cap on total units and that is ultimately inflationary.
Ethereum is controlled by a small group that can and does edit the Blockchain when it deems necessary, as evidenced by the “DAO Debacle” that led to the Ethereum split. These two factors alone indicate that Ethereum is not a “good store of value”.
If one needs the programmability aspect Of Ethereum I would suggest Ethereum classic, same programmability and much more honest.

As far as cryptocurrencies go there are other altcoin with good fundamentals but as you say Bitcoin is the largest and well established.
If one is interested in altcoins, I would recommend both both Litecoin and Auroracoin for their sound fundamentals.

The majority of the public isn’t ready to give up traditional banking for crypto currencies, and they won’t just jump straight from one to the other. At the same time, the banking industry isn’t going to just fold up shop and go home. They still represent more market share and power than the crypto currency markets. It makes sense that as banks adopt Ethereum, Ripple, and the like, this will be the most likely path for the majority of users to “get on” the blockchain. If you like a return on investment, it makes sense to like all of these coins right now as the public will always prefer the simplest route to adoption.

Exactly. It’s the best way to get rapid development and adoption of crypto of the masses to get a feel of its potential. Any developments and ideas may likely spill over into other crypto markets. And when the mainstream gets comfortable, it may give them the know how to use and trade/invest for better more sound crypto competition in the future as they seek to optimise any flaws out.

It definitely looks like Ethereum supporters are trolls here…. fake names and no Avatars….

Spreading misinformation and FUD.

Good point Russell, I’ve caught these Ethereum trolls shilling on almost every Bitcoin forum!
The writing styles are so similar that I think it’s the same character(s).

Same tactics almost verbatim, no facts and personal attacks, fake names and empty profiles on Facebook.

This author is just trying to down talk Ethereum. What this author is oblivious of or does not want to think of is how POS changes the whole equation.. With POS the power is in the hands of the people who own the Ethers and not just left to the mercy of the miners. So any dilution or inflation just adds to the net worth of those who are the stakeholders only. So contradictory to the propositions made regarding unlimited supply, whoever wants to get a stake or part of the new age economy is well served by taking a stake now itself rather than waiting more time and pay more. POS will actually create more demand with everyone wanting to own a part and especially the enterprises and governments as well. This is something only those in the know now know about. Others creating FUD are those who have a self interest or are paid just to write the article. Worth thinking about.

“any dilution or inflation just adds to the net worth”…Are you crazy?
That goes against any of economic model ever devised by anyone, other than your employer…

Wouldn’t it be wise to have a stake in both BTC and ETH? Would a scenario arise where Bitcoin becomes more of store of value, ‘digital gold’ type hedge against central bank fiat printing where ETH becomes a daily transactional currency with little or no overhead to the buyer and seller with lots of apps for consumers to choose from to load on their smartphones. So the use case is people doing day to day transactions on ETH or Litecoin. Now there are hundreds more with all of them having their own mission statement and purpose.

The diversity you’re talking about is probably Litecoin.
Faster transaction times because of Segwit integration but still good fundamentals of decentralization and an 84 million cap on units.
It’s not that prefer Bitcoin, in fact my all time favorite is Auroracoin.
I just don’t trust a banker crypto especially one with no cap on units and controlled by the same group that brought us the world financial crisis of 2008.

BITCOIN VS ALTCOINS & ETHEREUM

Contrary to the dominant narritive, Bitcoin has no problem…it’s immunities to change is what gives it a credible decentralized quality. It is precisely because Chinese miners, Bitcoin core developers, or these large exchanges cannot make changes or force updates on Bitcoin’s network, that we can see proof that Bitcoin is the most decentralized.

NOTE: Bitcoin already functions perfect as a store of value…It doesn’t need to function as a currency yet.

My biggest concern for Ethereum and all other altcoins is their governance models: if Ethereum moves to proof of stake, and the big Banks are the largest stake holders, the promised innovation and decentralization will be captured and put under their control again.

Ethereum seems capable of changes easily, thus it is too centralized to serve as a store of value… it may eventually connect to Bitcoin for value, or it will be replaced by an innovative sidechain or update to Bitcoin soon.

The only thing that matters for a viable blockchain is it’s use as a store of value….all other functionality comes later as the free market demands.

Ethereum is a bad speculative Investment, because it is soo easy to change… Bitcoin is the new standard that has far surpassed Golds’ 5000 year reign…but let’s face it horses have been awround longer, but few people are willing to take a horse, over a car, on a cross country ride. Technology progresses, and when it finally works, it changes even our longest traditions.

The Ethereum shills seem to be repeating the same message in every forum:
“Get on board before you’re left out” and “If you have questions about Ethereum as store of value, you must be a Bitcoin fanboy”.
As I’ve said, I’ve found what appears to be these same people on almost every Bitcoin forum spouting the same nonsense under assumed names and empty profiles.
I’m tempted to start “trolling” the Ethereum forums and injecting common sense but I don’t get paid to do it the way they are.

I think the narrative is starting to break through mainstream conversations…

Bitcoin does not have to be a currency it only has to be a store of value.

But I think once it is a store of value then soon after they will innovate on top of it and develop a currency feature.

In my opinion there’s many reasons why Ethereum is a ridiculous speculative investment… I don’t think it’s going to be much longer before people realize this and start moving coins into Bitcoin.

Bitcoin will fail to be a store of value if it can’t be a currency. The masses wont like 10 minute wait times at best when better real replacement currencies exist. There is simply a larger market to be a currency and a sound currency is always a good store of value.

Bitcoin is only surviving on first mover advantage and will be obsolete if it can’t fix this and service the 99% of the mainstream demand it is leaving on the table.

You people are mental. How in the heck is bitcoin a store of value when it can gain or lose 20% in a week? That is the opposite of a store of value

I don’t know anyone invested in Ethereum who is not either also invested in Bitcoin, or would like to be also invested in Bitcoin. Compare the two communities /r/Bitcoin and /r/Ethereum on reddit. Ethereum’s community is not badmouthing Bitcoin. It exists because of Bitcoin, so that would be a rather ridiculous stance to take. Bitcoin being the first blockchain currency, and now acting as the “gateway” cryptocurrency contains a larger percentage of uneducated (I don’t mean that in a bad way) investors. They want in on the craze but either don’t care to know, or don’t yet know what blockchain is, how it works, and why its existence will impact virtually every existing industry. This is an advantage that the Ethereum community has in that if you’re sold on Ethereum, most likely you understand the benefit and potential of a blockchain that has the capability of attaching contracts to transactions.

No one likes a troll.

You people are mental. How in the heck is bitcoin a store of value when it can gain or lose 20% in a week? That is the opposite of a store of value.

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As I am sure most of you have heard this before I am new to Crypto. Bought into Ethereum a few months back bc I liked what I read about it and where it was heading a few months back and the price predictions for end of year and 2018. I am not invested in Bitcoin and don’t really care to at this point but I do feel more inclined lately to sell off Ethereum and use profits and additional funds to buy into Ripple. I like the idea of being in on something that hasn’t reached over .50 with predictions forecasting a possible of .75-.95 by EOY and 2.00 end of 2018! What do you think of Ripples price predictions for end of year and 2018. Are they too bold like most other Top Ten Cryptos or more legitimate than others.

Ethereum oder bitcoin

Bitcoin Versus Ethereum

Jan. 16, 2018 1:16 PM • btc-usd

Summary

Bitcoin losing dominance amongst cryptocurrencies.

Issues plaguing Bitcoin (Futures markets, China/South Korea).

How Ethereum is a safer bet.

How should investors adjust their portfolio?

Bitcoin is slowly losing its dominance in the cryptocurrency market.

In the chart above (Bitcoin = orange, Ethereum = purple), Bitcoin (BTC) comprised 85% of the cryptocurrency market in January 2017. One year later, Bitcoin only accounts for 33% of the market. Meanwhile, Ethereum (ETH) has risen from just 5% of the market in 2017, to nearly 20% now. At one point, Ethereum peaked at 32% market share during July 2017.

If you look closely at the chart, you can see that whenever Bitcoin trends downwards, Ethereum (along with the others) trends upwards. This is because Bitcoin is the gateway cryptocurrency to other coins. Until now, no other coin was as prevalent in trading pairs as BTC due to its brand name and availability on exchanges that allow users to convert between fiat and BTC. However, Bitcoin is beginning to fall out of favor as exchanges continue to add ETH pairings, which now are almost as common as BTC pairings.

Investors should be mindful of this transition, because as Bitcoin's role as the gateway coin slips away, so does Bitcoin's utility. This mean lower prices for Bitcoin as we move forward into 2018. However, this is the least of BTC's woes; there are a few more issues that threaten the long-term value of Bitcoin, and make its competitor-Ethereum-a better investment.

Issues Plaguing Bitcoin

Contrary to my expectations, the futures markets did not help Bitcoin's price after their creation.

The quotes above are from the CME group. Each contract is worth 5 BTC, which essentially prices out most retail investors, leaving institutional investors as the primary participants. If you compare the "JAN 2018" quote to the "JUN 2018" quote, it's clear that institutional investors are not bullish on BTC. They are short Bitcoin. Or if you are optimistic, they could be hedging, but the best way to hedge in the cryptocurrency universe is by not being invested at all.

Whether the large players are short or merely hedging, the futures markets are certainly one reason to be worried about Bitcoin.

Asia Cracking Down on Mining Pools and Exchanges:

Bitcoin is starting to implode in China and South Korea. China already banned ICOs in September, and now the country has outlined plans to decrease energy consumption regarding cryptocurrency mining. Mining has been popular in China due to low energy costs, and the recent popularity of Bitcoin has only added to the surge of virtual mining facilities across the nation.

The four largest mining pools-all Chinese­-account for roughly two-thirds of "mining power." From an investor's perspective, this is especially concerning given the Chinese government's intent of clamping down on their miners. Higher energy costs in China will force miners to scale down their networks, or even shut down depending on the circumstances. A smaller network will result in reduced security, which means higher risk of the Bitcoin network being attacked by malicious actors or having slower transaction times.

For me personally, I have liquidated my BTC holdings until I am sure of how Chinese mining pools will be affected. I don't think it makes any sense to expect the Chinese government to allow the proliferation of cryptocurrencies to continue without heavier regulation. And with heavier regulation, means less reason to use BTC yet again. Therefore, I am out.

The other cryptocurrency giant in Asia is South Korea. I talked about the country's actions against exchanges in my previous article. South Korea accounts for 5% of the world's Bitcoin trading, which is roughly $10 billion. The latest data on China shows that they trade approximately $18 billion of the world's Bitcoin. Combined at $28 billion, China and South Korea represent 12% of Bitcoin's market cap. If one country decides to cutoff cryptocurrencies, then the other country will likely feel empowered to follow suit and ban digital currencies in their own market. A cryptocurrency world without China and South Korea would experience a crash in excess of the combined 12% market cap of the two countries, considering investors will be predicting the end of Bitcoin.

Between mining pool energy disputes, and exchange crackdowns, I am more concerned about mining pools. If exchanges are closed, people can still find ways to access other exchanges in order to transact. However, if mining pools are shut down, then there is a sustained loss of hashing power to ensure that coins like Bitcoin are able to maintain secure networks.

This concern has led me to a cryptocurrency that I believe can still thrive despite the potential closure of mining pools: Ethereum.

How Ethereum is Safer than Bitcoin

To start, Ethereum does not have a futures market yet. This means that institutional investors cannot short the coin, and the general market will not be distracted by futures prices that may signal pessimism.

(Ethereum 1 month chart)

(Bitcoin 1 month chart)

The difference between how ETH and BTC have behaved since the introduction of Bitcoin futures is illustrated in the charts above. Ethereum has doubled in one month to $1,300, while Bitcoin has fallen from an all-time-high of $20,000 to $13,000.

Aside from futures, scaling is another issue Bitcoin faces. There has been buzz about the Lightning Network, and how it purports to confirm transactions in seconds, but the reality is that the upgrade is long behind schedule, and has only been tested on extremely small testnets - meaning there is no credibility behind its promise to decrease transaction times.

Without a practical solution to scaling in sight, BTC investors should be cautious of continuing to own a coin with no real utility among its competitors. A brand name alone will not be enough to remain the eminent cryptocurrency.

Ethereum has maintained a decent pace of upgrading their platform to ensure smooth scalability. The founder, Vitalik Buterin, announced a program to fund the development of sharding in the platform. Sharding will essentially break up the system's transactions into digestible chunks, allowing for faster transactions without compromising network security.

You might be wondering how security would be unaffected when Bitcoin's identical solution would result in weaker security on its blockchain. This is the magic of Proof-of-Stake, which eliminates hashing power as the means of confirming transactions, making smaller networks just as secure as larger ones.

The fact that Ethereum's developer team is investing millions into their own platform towards developing a scaling solution that does not compromise security and would barely be affected by mining pool closures is extremely reassuring as an investor. For those reasons, I am long Ethereum.

How Should Investors React?

The days of Bitcoin reigning over the cryptocurrency markets is nearing the end. Bitcoin futures markets, Asia's crackdown on mining pools/exchanges, and Bitcoin's scalability concerns have become too large for me to ignore.

Ethereum is the future star, in my opinion, because of its progress in scalability and its soon-to-be lack of reliance on mining pools once Proof-of-Stake is implemented. A lesser near-term benefit is the absence of a futures market for ETH, which is partially why it has doubled in value in one month.

If you are still invested in Bitcoin, you might want to reconsider allocating a portion of your BTC holdings to ETH, or even divesting out of BTC completely to reinvest into ETH and/or other more utilitarian coins. Finding coins that are essential for operating in a platform, such as using ETH to pay for token transactions, is key to finding a coin with long-term potential.

Bitcoin Vs Ethereum: Driven by Different Purposes

Ethereum​ has received a lot of attention since its announcement at the North American Bitcoin Conference in early 2014 by Vitalik Buterin. The natural consequence of its rising popularity has been its constant comparison to Bitcoin, the first virtual currency. It is important for investors to understand the similarities and differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Bitcoin, the first virtual currency, was born nine years back in 2008. It introduced a novel idea set out in a white paper by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto: Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and is operated by a decentralized authority, unlike government issued currencies. There are no physical Bitcoins, only balances associated with public and private keys.

Over these years, the acceptance of the concept of a virtual currency has increased among regulators and government bodies. Although it isn’t a formally recognized medium of payment or store of value, it has managed a niche for itself and continues to coexist in the financial system despite being regularly scrutinized and debated.

Blockchain

The attempts to understand Bitcoin more closely resulted in the discovery of blockchain​, the technology that powers it. The blockchain is not just the hottest topic in the FinTech world but also a sought after technology in many industries.

A blockchain is a public ledger of all transactions in a given system that have ever been executed. It is constantly growing as completed blocks are added to it. The blocks are added to the blockchain in linear, chronological order through cryptography, ensuring they remain beyond the power of manipulators. The blockchain thus stands as a tamper-proof record of all transactions on the network, accessible to all participants. The blockchain offers a chance to work at lower costs with greater regulatory compliance, reduced risk, and enhanced efficiency.

Enter Ethereum!

Blockchain technology is being used to create applications which are beyond just supporting a digital currency. Such applications are often referred to as Crypto 2.0, Blockchain 2.0 or even Bitcoin 2.0.

Launched in 2015, Ethereum is the largest and most well-established, open-ended decentralized software platform that enables SmartContracts and Distributed Applications (ĐApps) to be built and run without any downtime, fraud, control or interference from a third party. Ethereum is not just a platform but also a programming language (Turing complete) running on a blockchain, helping developers to build and publish distributed applications. (See also: What is Ethereum?)

The potential applications of Ethereum are wide ranging and run on its platform-specific cryptographic token, Ether. In 2014, Ethereum had launched a pre-sale for ether which received an overwhelming response. Ether is like a vehicle for moving around on the Ethereum platform and is sought by developers looking to develop and run applications inside Ethereum.

Ether is used broadly for two purposes: it is traded as a digital currency exchange like other cryptocurrencies and is used inside Ethereum to run applications and even to monetize work. According to Ethereum, it can be used to “codify, decentralize, secure and trade just about anything.” One of the big projects around Ethereum is Microsoft’s partnership with ConsenSys which offers “Ethereum Blockchain as a Service (EBaaS) on Microsoft Azure so Enterprise clients and developers can have a single click cloud-based blockchain developer environment.”

Bitcoin Vs Ethereum

While both Bitcoin and Ethereum are powered by the principle of distributed ledgers and cryptography, the two differ in many technical ways. For example, the programming language used by Ethereum is Turning complete whereas Bitcoin is in a stack based language. Other differences include block time (Ethereum transaction is confirmed in seconds compared to minutes for Bitcoin) and their basic builds (Ethereum uses ethash while Bitcoin uses secure hash algorithm, SHA-256). (See also: Risks and Rewards of Investing in Bitcoin.)

However, from a general point of view, Bitcoin and Ethereum differ in purpose. While Bitcoin is created as an alternative to regular money and is thus a medium of payment transaction and store of value, Ethereum is developed as a platform which facilitates peer-to-peer contracts and applications via its own currency vehicle. While Bitcoin and Ether are both digital currencies, the primary purpose of Ether is not to establish itself as a payment alternative (unlike Bitcoin) but to facilitate and monetize the working of Ethereum to enable developers to build and run distributed applications (ĐApps).

The Bottom Line

In sum, Ethereum is an advancement based on the principle of blockchain that supports bitcoin but with a purpose that does not compete with Bitcoin. However, the popularity and rising market capitalization of Ether brings it in competition with all cryptocurrencies, especially from the trading perspective. Currently, the market cap of Ether (ETH) is more than Ripple and Litecoin, although it’s far behind Bitcoin (BTC). On the whole, Bitcoin and Ethereum are different versions using the blockchain technology, and are set to establish themselves, driven by different intentions.

[ Bitcoin. Ethereum. Ripple. There are new, impactful cryptocurrencies and tokens arriving every day. Learn the basics of cryptocurrency, how we got here, and what the future of crypto holds for us in Investopedia Academy's Cryptocurrency for Beginners course. Taught by fintech Entrepreneur Lex Sokolin, Cryptocurrency for Beginners gives you the foundation you need to successfully enter the world of cryptocurrencies. ]

Ethereum oder bitcoin

What is the main difference?

Well, the fact that Ethereum was created from Bitcoin open-source says a lot about the basic differences between the two of them; the first one is actually the very first cryptocurrency in the world so is the most known, installed and houses any kind of users and investors. On the other side, Ethereum is one of the newest cryptocurrencies but despite that, it quickly positioned right after BTC thanks to its diverse platform that might not be very friendly for the newest users but it is slowly getting more approachable for them as it is quite useful for the most expert traders.

Is in that Ethereum platform where the primordial difference between Ether and Bitcoin is. As BTC is the first cryptoasset, the chainblock was newly developed and though only in relation to the cryptocoin trade, period, that is its final object in order to maintain a relatively stable e-currency. Ethereum, on the contrary, is an integrated platform where users can develop other projects and transactions besides trading cryptocurrencies.

Ether is not only one of the concepts this platform seeks to develop and, as the system grows, it is possible that other cryptocurrencies depend on Ethereum as they do now on Bitcoin. But the smart contracts are what gives Ethereum so much popularity in this short time.
Other differences

In smaller aspects, as Ethereum is newer and therefore has a more modern technology, it surpasses BTC system in some tiny factors:

• Time for transaction confirmation: Bitcoin’s time for confirmation is one of the slowest ones with an average of 10 minutes per transaction while Ethereum works in around 12 seconds thanks to its GHOST protocol.

• Monetary supply: Bitcoin has a quite limited stash that is actually getting to its limits while Ethereum supply is quite greater than BTC’s and is not nearly to its limits, actually it is said that Ether has no total limit and can be created as much of it as necessary, only an annual limit of 18USD million is set.

• The mining reward is quite different too; Bitcoin is quite simpler to mine and has a reward around 12BTC per transaction but it is constantly diminishing with time. On the other hand, Ethereum rewards are lower, only 5ETH per transaction but it seems to be much more stable.

• The cost of transaction: in Bitcoin, every transaction competes equally with each other while in Ethereum, the costing is directly related to the storage needs.

• Turing internal code: unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum counts with its own Turing internal and integral code which gives the possibility to perform any calculation if we have the time and right equipment. Bitcoin is a little bit more uncertain in this aspect.

Ethereum Vs Bitcoin: What's The Main Difference?

While Bitcoin has long been dominant in the cryptocurrency scene, it is certainly not alone. Ethereum is another cryptocurrency related project that has attracted a lot of hype because of its additional features and applications.

Ethereum: More Than Just Money

The first thing about Ethereum is that it is not just a digital currency. It is a blockchain-based platform with many aspects. It features smart contracts, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and it uses its currency called ether for peer-to-peer contracts.

Ethereum's smart contracts use blockchain stored applications for contract negotiation and facilitation. The benefit of these contracts is that the blockchain provides a decentralized way to verify and enforce them. The decentralized aspect makes it incredibly difficult for fraud or censorship. Ethereum's smart contracts aim to provide greater security than traditional contracts and bring down the associated costs.

The smart contract applications are powered by ether, Ethereum's blockchain based cryptocurrency. Ether, as well as other crypto-assets, are held in the Ethereum Wallet, which allows you to create and use smart contracts. The system has been described by the New York Times as..

"a single shared computer that is run by the network of users and on which resources are parceled out and paid for by ether."

Implement Smart Contracts With Your Own Cryptocurrency

Ethereum allows you to create digital tokens that can be used to represent virtual shares, assets, proof of membership and more. These smart contracts are compatible with any wallet, as well as exchanges that use a standard coin API. You can copy the code from Ethereum's website and then use your tokens for many purposes, including the representation of shares, forms of voting and also fundraising. You can either have a fixed amount of tokens in circulation or have a fluctuating amount based on predetermined rules.

You Don't Need Kickstarter When You Have Ethereum

One great feature of Ethereum is that it gives developers a means to raise funds for various applications. For your new project, you can set up a contract and seek pledges from the community. The money that is raised will be held until the goal is reached or until an agreed upon date. The funds will be released back to the contributors if the goal is not met, or go on to the project if it is successful. Kicking out Kickstarter means that the third party is taken out, along with their rules, and also the fees they charge (when you include processing fees, Kickstarter can take up to 10% of a project's budget).

Skip the Traditional Management Structure With Democratic Autonomous Organizations

Not only can Ethereum help you source funding, but it can also help to provide the organizational structure to get your idea off the ground. You can collect proposals from the people who backed your project and then hold votes on how you should proceed. This means that you can skip the expense of a traditional structure, such as hiring managers and doing paperwork. Ethereum also protects your project from outside influences, while its decentralized network means that you won't face downtime.

The Finer Details: Differences Between Ethereum and Bitcoin

There are also many smaller aspects that differ between the two blockchain-based projects. Bitcoin's average block time is about 10 minutes, while Ethereum's aims to be 12 seconds. This quick time is enabled by Ethereum's GHOST protocol. A faster block time means that confirmations are quicker. However, there are also more orphaned blocks.

Another key difference between them is their monetary supply. More than two-thirds of all available bitcoin have already been mined, with the majority going to early miners. Ethereum raised its launch capital with a presale and only about half of its coins will have been mined by its fifth year of existence.

The reward for mining Bitcoin halves about every four years and it is currently valued at 12.5 bitcoins. Ethereum rewards miners based on its proof-of-work algorithm called Ethash, with 5 ether given for each block. Ethash is a memory hard hashing algorithm, which encourages decentralized mining by individuals, rather than the use of more centralized ASICs as with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin and Ethereum also cost their transactions in different ways. In Ethereum, it is called Gas, and the costing of transactions depends on their storage needs, complexity and bandwidth usage. In Bitcoin, the transactions are limited by the block size and they compete equally with each other.

Ethereum features its own Turing complete internal code, which means that anything can be calculated with enough computing power and enough time. Bitcoin does not have this capability. While there are certainly advantages to the Turing-complete, its complexity also brings security complications, which contributed to the DAO attack in June.

Ethereum and Bitcoin: Two Very Different Beasts

While many will compare the cryptocurrency aspect of both Ethereum and Bitcoin, the reality is that they are vastly different projects and have different intentions. Bitcoin has emerged as a relatively stable digital currency, while Ethereum aims to encompass more, with ether just a component of its smart contract applications.

Bitcoin, Ethereum or Litecoin: Which is best for you?

A primer on the most visible cryptocurrencies.

Before you jump into this overview of a few cryptocurrency alternatives, check out our first two articles in this series, Bitcoin, explained and Buying and selling bitcoin.

Bitcoin has spawned hundreds of cryptocurrencies.

Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

Bitcoin was the first. Since its release in 2009, it's become the most famous, established and valuable cryptocurrency. But it's not the only game in town.

Litecoin followed in 2011. Created by Charles Lee, an engineer who later helped build Coinbase, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, Litecoin is based on the same code as bitcoin but with a few tweaks designed to address two of its predecessor's limitations: transaction speed and access to the mining process.

And in 2015, Ethereum made its debut, incorporating bitcoin's basic blockchain premise and Litecoin's pursuit of faster transaction speed, but adding a few of its own twists -- including the ability to process little chunks of code, called "smart contracts" -- and on its virtual peer-to-peer network as opposed to a dedicated server or mining rig.

Ripple's market cap now exceeds $40 billion.

Coinbase's support for bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum -- as well as Bitcoin Cash, a new branch of the bitcoin blockchain created in August 2017 -- helped install and keep them among the most visible and well-capitalized cryptocurrencies. Rounding out the top 10, in terms of market capitalization, is a dynamic shortlist that has included established coins and upstarts like Ripple, Cardano, Neo, Stellar, Eos and IOTA.

For the purposes of introducing some of the prevailing concepts behind the growing population of cryptocurrencies, we'll take a closer look at the technologies behind Litecoin and Ethereum, how they compare to bitcoin and what they each bring to the table for prospective investors, miners and traders.

The top six cryptocurrencies represented roughly $315 billion in market capitalization as of Feb. 12, 2018.

Litecoin 101

Litecoin is closely based on bitcoin -- they're built on the same underlying code -- but with a few distinctive tweaks. The central difference is that Litecoin is mined using the Scrypt algorithm, which is rooted in mathematical computations that are simpler than those used by bitcoin's SHA-256 algorithm. As a result, in contrast to the specialized, super-expensive, energy-intensive mining rigs required to mine bitcoin, you can mine Litecoin with a decent laptop or desktop PC, especially if it's tricked out with a powerful graphics card.

And because Scrypt is less mathematically complex than SHA-256, Litecoin mining is way faster than bitcoin mining. A Litecoin block takes only 2.5 minutes to hash, compared to the 10 minutes it takes to hash a bitcoin block. So Litecoin transactions are also faster to process and confirm.

Ethereum 101

Like Litecoin, it's based on the same fundamental blockchain concept as bitcoin, with blocks and hashes and such, but Ethereum adds its own distinctive twist. Funded in 2014 through an initial coin offering , Ethereum fancies itself "an enormously powerful shared global infrastructure" that, in addition to serving as a digital currency, runs special applications called "smart contracts."

This collective, distributed computing network, called the "Ethereum Virtual Machine," can be, in a sense, rented out. Participants who consume computing power pay for it with tokens, called Ether; those who contribute processing power can earn them. Of course, buyers and sellers can simply trade Ether independently of these activities.

Consider that bitcoin mining is akin to thousands of chefs feverishly racing to prepare a new, extremely complicated dish -- and only the first one to serve up a perfect version of it ends up getting paid. In the Ethereum kitchen, miners serve as the restaurant's landlord, compensated for providing the infrastructure so that Ether chefs can invent new types of cuisine.

In fact, a group of companies and universities has formed a nonprofit expressly to legitimize Ethereum; promote it as an open-source platform and not a commercial enterprise per se; and develop and support those applications that run on it. And these are not rinky-dink startups -- we're talking about major technology players like Intel and Microsoft and financial behemoths like JP Morgan and Credit Suisse.

Which cryptocurrency is the most valuable?

Bitcoin remains the most visible and frequently traded cryptocurrency. After a remarkable surge in November 2017, it crested at just shy of $20,000 in late December 2017, and after settling in around $15,000 for a few weeks, shed another 50 percent of its value after South Korean regulators publicly mulled banning trading. The price of Litecoin, sometimes referred to as the "silver" to bitcoin's "gold," followed a valuation trend similar to bitcoin and now sits at around $160. Though all three have increased in value during the past 12 months, Ethereum has charted its own distinct path, spiking in June 2017 and surpassing $1,000 in early January 2018.

Which one's the best for you?

If only it was that easy. No one knows whether any cryptocurrency will increase in value -- or even be around in a year's time (though we think the ones outlined in this article will check both of those boxes). None of them are regulated (yet) and only individuals with the highest capacity for risk should get into the cryptocurrency market. That noted, there are significant differences among these three that could be used to form a rational basis for investing in or mining one over another.

Ripple vs Ethereum vs Bitcoin

December 26, 2017

According to coinmarketcap.com, at present, the three coins occupy the following places according to the market capitalization:

1. Bitcoin: $271,047,912,465

2. Ethereum: $74,070,256,153

4. Ripple: $45,056,337,197

The occupant of the third place, Bitcoin Cash will not be the subject of this article, being a Bitcoin derived from Segwit. Basically there is not much to say about Bitcoin Cash.

An article of this type was absolutely necessary. There are a lot of people on Crypto Market who don’t not know anything about XRP. A market study conducted in the United States showing that 67% of Americans didn’t hear about ETH. Probably if a study on the XRP currency is made, the percentage of those who have not heard about the currency would rise to 75-80%.

Ripple:

Ripple is a payments network built on blockchain that provides one, frictionless experience to send money globally. Unlike existing siloed networks, Ripple powers payments across networks with unmatched global reach for real-time payments at the lowest cost. XRP is a digital asset that can be used on the Ripple network to lower liquidity costs while minimizing settlement risk and delays.

Being built for commercial use, XRP provides banks and payment providers with a first on-demand liquidity option for cross-border payments. It is the fastest and most scalable digital asset that allows real-time global payments.

Currently over 100 institutions use Ripple cross-border payment technology. In the summer of this year, Ripple created a suite of three tools specifically designed to be used for cross-border payments. One of them, XRapid is the liquidated XRP provider. The day before the Swell conference, Ripple announces that: “In a precedent-setting moment, Cuallix has become the world’s first institution to use xRapid – Ripple’s solution that uses XRP as a liquidity tool – to reduce the cost of sending cross-border payments from the US to Mexico“. We can say that the use of Ripple cross-border payment technology and currency XRP reduces money transfer costs by 60% compared to Swift class transfers. Also such transfer takes 4 seconds while the classic Swift transfer takes between 3 and 5 days. In October 2017, Ripple launched the RippleNet Accelerator Program to increase the XRP volume and utility. The value of this program is 300 million dollars.

Below is a picture where you can see the place of XRapid and the XRP currency in cross-border payments:

Ethereum:

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third party interference. In the Ethereum protocol and blockchain there is a price for each operation. The cryptocurrency is called Ether and is used to pay for computation time and for transaction fees.

So, is it like Bitcoin? Well, yes and no. The two share the fact that they were built using public network technology – known as blockchain – but here is the similarity between them. Bitcoin offers a single application, a peer-to-peer electronic currency exchange system that allows for online payments, that is, in other words, a coin in its purest form. While Bitcoin uses blockchain technology to identify Bitcoins, Ethereum uses a blockchain as a platform to run virtually any decentralized application.

One of the most popular uses of the Ethereum platform, is the design and issuance of its own cryptocurrency. Many of the coins currently in existence on Crypto Market were created using the Ethereum blockchain platform. This year, Ethereum had a hardfork upgrade, called Metropolis (Ethereum 3.0).

Bitcoin:

Bitcoin is the entry currency on the Crypto Market. Most coins currently on Crypto Market can be bought with Bitcoin. Now it is “fashionable” to invest in Bitcoin. Also, worldwide, Bitcoin is well-known. At present, there are a lot of companies and sites in the world that accept Bitcoin as a payment method. There are many, so I will list only the most famous: WordPress.com, Subway, Microsoft, Reddit, Pirate Bay, Virgin Galactic, OkCupid, Namecheap, CheapAir.com, Expedia.com , Gyft, Wikipedia , Overstock.com, Newegg.com and Steemit.

And yet, Bitcoin is far from global adoption. Bitcoin has problems in terms of transfer costs, especially in low-value transfers. To transfer the 50$ bitcoin, the transfer fee is 5$. This year, as a result of misunderstandings between developers and the mining community, Bitcoin suffered two segwitts resulting in Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold. This year, Bitcoin had an upgrade called Lightning.

Bitcoin vs. Ethereum

What’s the difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum?

First, it’s important to understand that there are two categories of digital coins: Cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Litecoin, ZCash, Monero, etc) and Tokens (e.g. Ethereum, Filecoin, Storj, Blockstack, etc.)

Bitcoin is a “cryptocurrency.” Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are competing against existing money (and gold) to replace them with a truly global currency.

The promise of Bitcoin is that it is:

• A global currency which allows individuals to own their own money (without having to rely on national banks).
• Lower fees for transferring money across geographic borders.
• Financial stability for people who live in countries with unstable currencies. (e.g. In 2016, the Venezuela’s currency hit an inflation rate of 800%). In addition, two-thirds of the current global population has no access to banking, or limited access — Bitcoin is changing that.

Ethereum is a “token.” What Bitcoin does for money, Ethereum does for contracts. Ethereum’s innovation is that is allows you to write Smart Contracts: basically any digital agreement where you can say “if this” happens, “then something else happens.” For example:

• If I vote for the President, then my vote is official and no one else can vote as me.
• If I sign my name on this document, then I own the car, and you no longer own the car.
• Up until now we’ve carried out these agreements with a signature at the bottom of a paper document. Ethereum dramatically improves this model because it is digital, and proof of the transaction can never be deleted.

A crypto expert explains the difference between the two largest cryptocurrencies in the world: bitcoin and Ethereum

Lex Sokolin, Autonomous Research's director of fintech strategy, talks with Business Insider Executive Editor Sara Silverstein about the differences between bitcoin and Ethereum. Following is a transcript of the video.

Sara Silverstein: What is bitcoin versus Ethereum?

Lex Sokolin: So bitcoin is — and I'm probably going to upset all the bitcoin maximalists out there, who'll comment about the future — but bitcoin is about, kind of, the on-ramp into the crypto world. It's payments, and it's the digital gold. So you can almost think of it as the crypto reserve currency. And it's spectacular at that — at payments.

Whereas Ethereum is, you know, it's the world's computing platform. It's a blockchain platform that has smart contracts that can be built on top of it. So anything from equities to fixed income to figuring out how your drone is going to charge on an electric station, and buy your pizza. All of that can be built on top of Ethereum. So it's a very different type of platform.

Silverstein: And which should be worth more, bitcoin or Ethereum?

Sokolin: That's a tough one. It's kind of asking what's worth more — money or technology. So bitcoin is essentially digital money. It's the future of how payment should be made. Whereas Ethereum is a new infrastructure on which anything can be put. So things like decentralized Facebook, or the Internet of Things and sensors across all sorts of devices, to more pedestrian things, like initial coin offerings, you know. You can put anything on that platform.

Bitcoin vs Ethereum – Which one is Better?

With all of the commotion going on in the world of cryptocurrency, some interesting questions arise. A lot of people still feel they need to choose between Bitcoin or Ethereum, because one of them “has” to be better than the other. That is not the case by any means, as both ecosystems are trying to do things entirely. However, there are some aspects of both currencies which can be referred to as “being better than” its counterpart.

3. The Technology Battle

On paper, one could argue Bitcoin is better than any other cryptocurrency, token, or digital asset because those other offerings would not be around, were it not for Bitcoin. In this regard, the popular cryptocurrency has a leg up over any other currency in existence. Bitcoin will always be the first “major” cryptocurrency, and it has been around for 9 years now. Ethereum, on the other hand, only came to market a few years ago.

That being said, Ethereum offers some interesting pieces of technology. Smart contracts have been quite a revolutionary technology, although the same concept will be part of the Bitcoin protocol soon. Bitcoin has a disturbing lack of decentralized application possibilities, which makes Ethereum seem “better” in this regard. Then again, there is no “major” decentralized application in existence to be embraced by mainstream society either. Ethereum has a technological edge over Bitcoin, but until it is used by the masses, it is a matter of semantics.

2. Number of Coins

When we look at the available supply of currency, Bitcoin is clearly more scarce than Ethereum. In fact, Bitcoin has a hard coin supply cap of 21 million BTC. Ethereum has over 92 million coins in circulation, with more being mined every day. Even when Ethereum switches to proof of stake, it will remain an inflationary currency to some degree. A lot of people tend to overlook this fact, although it is certainly worth taking into consideration.

Not knowing how many ETH will be in circulation at its peak is somewhat disconcerting. A lot of Ethereum enthusiasts will shrug this off and claim it doesn’t matter. Rest assured such “details” should matter to everyone who gets involved in any cryptocurrency. Ethereum is not the only currency without a fixed maximum supply cap right now, but given its current market cap, it could become an issue over time. Bitcoin is better in this regard, as there is no confusion regarding the available supply.

1. Speculation

From a speculative point of view, both Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen significant value gains over the past year. In the case of Bitcoin, these gains have been smaller percentage-wise. Then again, Bitcoin was created well before Ethereum and has seen its value increase steadily over the years. Ethereum’s value suddenly picked up over the past year and a half. Whether or not that trend can be sustained over the long term, remains to be seen.

At the same time, the Ethereum price is still linked to the Bitcoin price. When Bitcoin goes up, Ethereum will often go down a bit until it stabilizes. As Bitcoin declines in value, Ethereum either goes down along with it, or sees a small gain. These values often correct themselves within mere hours, though. Right now, Bitcoin is clearly the bullish currency of the two, whereas Ethereum is trying to stabilize. All cryptocurrencies depend on what Bitcoin is doing, and Ethereum is no exception.

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About The Author

JP Buntinx is a FinTech and Bitcoin enthusiast living in Belgium. His passion for finance and technology made him one of the world's leading freelance Bitcoin writers, and he aims to achieve the same level of respect in the FinTech sector.

Nice article, thank you.

This article is not accurate. There is 30% of bitcoin coins that are ‘Lost’, and actually when Bit drops so does Eth, when Bit raises, so does Eth. They are tied very closely to each other. Not in the manner the writer noted. Research before you talk.

You are correct!

Ethereum is garbage.
2008 showed everyone the predatory nature of banks.
The solution Satoshi Nakamoto came up with was to disintermediate the banks entirely. People are corruptible, math is not.
If people want to spurn Nakamoto’s gift and trust bankers with Ripple, Ethereum, etc that’s their business.
I have no doubt that anyone using banker crypto, having forgotten the past, will be doomed to repeat it.

“Ethereum is garbage” – upset that there’s something out there that actually has some utility, that people – and businesses, including banks – are actually using to drive value and efficiency, rather than just hoard like Bitcoin?

Dude is obviously a Bitcoin fanboy. Just look at his comment history. He feels the pressure building because Ethereum is in such high demand. He fears “The Flippening”. In case you haven’t heard, that is when Ethereum will overtake Bitcoin as the new dominant currency. Many Bitcoin fanboys are terrified of what Ethereum is doing right now.

I’ve caught these Ethereum trolls shilling on almost every Bitcoin forum!
Same tactics almost verbatim, no facts and personal attacks, fake names and empty profiles on Facebook.

How much do they pay you to troll Bitcoin forums?
Let’s hope they pay you in something other than Ethereum because in spite of your attacks, Ethereum is a fundamentally bad cryptocurrency.

“Ethereum is garbage” congratulations on being one of the only people on the planet who has this opinion.

No cap on total unit, and a rewritable blockchain…No thanks.

Yeah, because that’s why Bitcoin was originally created. May I remind you that the primary users base of Bitcoin used to be criminals, and to some extent still is. Bitcoin is only the dominant cryptocurrency right now because it is the oldest. The world hasn’t seen anything like Ethereum since Bitcoin, and I think you know it. Ethereum is what Bitcoin should have been all along. If you think Ethereum is garbage, then I’m guessing you have a lot invested in Bitcoin and are scared to death because you know Ethereum is a superior product and will very probably overthrow Bitcoin as the dominant cryptocurrency. If you based your opinion on reality and not just loyalty because of your investment, you would know that Ethereum is a much better solution.

The “primary users base” of Bitcoin has never been criminals. That would be like saying the primary user base of cash was bank robbers, lol.
A few, much publicized cases were used to make headlines and cast aspersions on Bitcoin.
By dollar value the banks themselves were far more guilty of laundering money for drug cartels and financial fraud as in the case of toxic securities. The list goes on, but how about the latest case of fraud by Wells Fargo, does that justify saying “a majority of banks are engaged in criminal fraud”?

As far as Ethereum is concerned there are some very real flaws.
There is no cap on total units and that is ultimately inflationary.
Ethereum is controlled by a small group that can and does edit the Blockchain when it deems necessary, as evidenced by the “DAO Debacle” that led to the Ethereum split. These two factors alone indicate that Ethereum is not a “good store of value”.
If one needs the programmability aspect Of Ethereum I would suggest Ethereum classic, same programmability and much more honest.

As far as cryptocurrencies go there are other altcoin with good fundamentals but as you say Bitcoin is the largest and well established.
If one is interested in altcoins, I would recommend both both Litecoin and Auroracoin for their sound fundamentals.

The majority of the public isn’t ready to give up traditional banking for crypto currencies, and they won’t just jump straight from one to the other. At the same time, the banking industry isn’t going to just fold up shop and go home. They still represent more market share and power than the crypto currency markets. It makes sense that as banks adopt Ethereum, Ripple, and the like, this will be the most likely path for the majority of users to “get on” the blockchain. If you like a return on investment, it makes sense to like all of these coins right now as the public will always prefer the simplest route to adoption.

Exactly. It’s the best way to get rapid development and adoption of crypto of the masses to get a feel of its potential. Any developments and ideas may likely spill over into other crypto markets. And when the mainstream gets comfortable, it may give them the know how to use and trade/invest for better more sound crypto competition in the future as they seek to optimise any flaws out.

It definitely looks like Ethereum supporters are trolls here…. fake names and no Avatars….

Spreading misinformation and FUD.

Good point Russell, I’ve caught these Ethereum trolls shilling on almost every Bitcoin forum!
The writing styles are so similar that I think it’s the same character(s).

Same tactics almost verbatim, no facts and personal attacks, fake names and empty profiles on Facebook.

This author is just trying to down talk Ethereum. What this author is oblivious of or does not want to think of is how POS changes the whole equation.. With POS the power is in the hands of the people who own the Ethers and not just left to the mercy of the miners. So any dilution or inflation just adds to the net worth of those who are the stakeholders only. So contradictory to the propositions made regarding unlimited supply, whoever wants to get a stake or part of the new age economy is well served by taking a stake now itself rather than waiting more time and pay more. POS will actually create more demand with everyone wanting to own a part and especially the enterprises and governments as well. This is something only those in the know now know about. Others creating FUD are those who have a self interest or are paid just to write the article. Worth thinking about.

“any dilution or inflation just adds to the net worth”…Are you crazy?
That goes against any of economic model ever devised by anyone, other than your employer…

Wouldn’t it be wise to have a stake in both BTC and ETH? Would a scenario arise where Bitcoin becomes more of store of value, ‘digital gold’ type hedge against central bank fiat printing where ETH becomes a daily transactional currency with little or no overhead to the buyer and seller with lots of apps for consumers to choose from to load on their smartphones. So the use case is people doing day to day transactions on ETH or Litecoin. Now there are hundreds more with all of them having their own mission statement and purpose.

The diversity you’re talking about is probably Litecoin.
Faster transaction times because of Segwit integration but still good fundamentals of decentralization and an 84 million cap on units.
It’s not that prefer Bitcoin, in fact my all time favorite is Auroracoin.
I just don’t trust a banker crypto especially one with no cap on units and controlled by the same group that brought us the world financial crisis of 2008.

BITCOIN VS ALTCOINS & ETHEREUM

Contrary to the dominant narritive, Bitcoin has no problem…it’s immunities to change is what gives it a credible decentralized quality. It is precisely because Chinese miners, Bitcoin core developers, or these large exchanges cannot make changes or force updates on Bitcoin’s network, that we can see proof that Bitcoin is the most decentralized.

NOTE: Bitcoin already functions perfect as a store of value…It doesn’t need to function as a currency yet.

My biggest concern for Ethereum and all other altcoins is their governance models: if Ethereum moves to proof of stake, and the big Banks are the largest stake holders, the promised innovation and decentralization will be captured and put under their control again.

Ethereum seems capable of changes easily, thus it is too centralized to serve as a store of value… it may eventually connect to Bitcoin for value, or it will be replaced by an innovative sidechain or update to Bitcoin soon.

The only thing that matters for a viable blockchain is it’s use as a store of value….all other functionality comes later as the free market demands.

Ethereum is a bad speculative Investment, because it is soo easy to change… Bitcoin is the new standard that has far surpassed Golds’ 5000 year reign…but let’s face it horses have been awround longer, but few people are willing to take a horse, over a car, on a cross country ride. Technology progresses, and when it finally works, it changes even our longest traditions.

The Ethereum shills seem to be repeating the same message in every forum:
“Get on board before you’re left out” and “If you have questions about Ethereum as store of value, you must be a Bitcoin fanboy”.
As I’ve said, I’ve found what appears to be these same people on almost every Bitcoin forum spouting the same nonsense under assumed names and empty profiles.
I’m tempted to start “trolling” the Ethereum forums and injecting common sense but I don’t get paid to do it the way they are.

I think the narrative is starting to break through mainstream conversations…

Bitcoin does not have to be a currency it only has to be a store of value.

But I think once it is a store of value then soon after they will innovate on top of it and develop a currency feature.

In my opinion there’s many reasons why Ethereum is a ridiculous speculative investment… I don’t think it’s going to be much longer before people realize this and start moving coins into Bitcoin.

Bitcoin will fail to be a store of value if it can’t be a currency. The masses wont like 10 minute wait times at best when better real replacement currencies exist. There is simply a larger market to be a currency and a sound currency is always a good store of value.

Bitcoin is only surviving on first mover advantage and will be obsolete if it can’t fix this and service the 99% of the mainstream demand it is leaving on the table.

You people are mental. How in the heck is bitcoin a store of value when it can gain or lose 20% in a week? That is the opposite of a store of value

I don’t know anyone invested in Ethereum who is not either also invested in Bitcoin, or would like to be also invested in Bitcoin. Compare the two communities /r/Bitcoin and /r/Ethereum on reddit. Ethereum’s community is not badmouthing Bitcoin. It exists because of Bitcoin, so that would be a rather ridiculous stance to take. Bitcoin being the first blockchain currency, and now acting as the “gateway” cryptocurrency contains a larger percentage of uneducated (I don’t mean that in a bad way) investors. They want in on the craze but either don’t care to know, or don’t yet know what blockchain is, how it works, and why its existence will impact virtually every existing industry. This is an advantage that the Ethereum community has in that if you’re sold on Ethereum, most likely you understand the benefit and potential of a blockchain that has the capability of attaching contracts to transactions.

No one likes a troll.

You people are mental. How in the heck is bitcoin a store of value when it can gain or lose 20% in a week? That is the opposite of a store of value.

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As I am sure most of you have heard this before I am new to Crypto. Bought into Ethereum a few months back bc I liked what I read about it and where it was heading a few months back and the price predictions for end of year and 2018. I am not invested in Bitcoin and don’t really care to at this point but I do feel more inclined lately to sell off Ethereum and use profits and additional funds to buy into Ripple. I like the idea of being in on something that hasn’t reached over .50 with predictions forecasting a possible of .75-.95 by EOY and 2.00 end of 2018! What do you think of Ripples price predictions for end of year and 2018. Are they too bold like most other Top Ten Cryptos or more legitimate than others.