Ethereum!#中文Meme币热潮

1. Core Features: Smart Contracts and Decentralized Applications
Ethereum is not just a digital currency; it is a global, programmable settlement layer. Developers can write "smart contracts" (automatically executing, tamper-proof code rules) using programming languages like Solidity and deploy them on the Ethereum network. This has led to a series of innovative applications such as decentralized finance, NFTs, and decentralized autonomous organizations.

2. Evolution of Consensus Mechanisms: From PoW to PoS
Ethereum initially adopted a proof-of-work consensus mechanism similar to Bitcoin. In the "Merge" upgrade completed in 2022, it successfully transitioned to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. This move aims to reduce network energy consumption by approximately 99.9% and enhance network security and scalability through staking mechanisms.

3. Scalability Roadmap and Layered Architecture
Facing network congestion and high transaction fees, Ethereum is improving performance through a series of upgrades (commonly referred to as "Ethereum 2.0" or "sharding"). Meanwhile, Layer 2 scaling solutions (such as Rollups) bundle many transactions and anchor them back to the main chain, becoming mainstream solutions for increasing transaction speed and reducing costs in the short term.

4. Ecosystem and Impact
Ethereum has the world's largest and most active blockchain developer community and DApp ecosystem. It is regarded as a key component of Web3 and decentralized internet infrastructure, with standards (such as the ERC-20 token standard) that have become industry benchmarks.