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Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency network; bitcoin (BTC) is its native currency. Ethereum is a programmable blockchain for digital assets and applications; ether (ETH) is its native asset, used to pay for computation and support the network’s security. Both can transfer value, but they are built around different purposes and use different rules for consensus, supply and transaction records.
Bitcoin and bitcoin, Ethereum and ether: what do the names mean?
Bitcoin can refer to the network and protocol that records transfers in a shared public ledger, or, in casual usage, to its currency. The currency is bitcoin, usually abbreviated BTC. Bitcoin.org describes transfers between wallets being recorded on the network: Bitcoin.org’s FAQ.
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Ethereum is the network and its programmable execution platform. Ether, abbreviated ETH, is the network’s native cryptocurrency. People use ETH to pay for computation, and ETH also plays a role in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake security design. For a plain-language overview, see ethereum.org’s introduction to Ethereum.
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Bitcoin vs. Ethereum at a glance
| Feature | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Network purpose | Peer-to-peer digital currency and value transfer | Programmable blockchain for applications and digital assets |
| Native asset | bitcoin (BTC) | ether (ETH) |
| Consensus | Proof of work: miners propose blocks, and nodes check them against the protocol | Proof of stake: validators stake ETH and propose or attest to blocks |
| Programming | Supports transactions and scripts, including features such as multisignature conditions, but is not designed as an Ethereum-style general smart-contract platform | The Ethereum Virtual Machine runs smart contracts and updates shared network state |
| Supply design | Protocol limit of 21 million BTC | No equivalent fixed maximum; issuance and transaction-fee burning both affect supply |
| Transaction record model | Unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) | Accounts and shared EVM state |
| Confirmation and settlement | Confidence increases as subsequent blocks are added | Proof-of-stake validators can finalize blocks through protocol agreement; this is not a like-for-like transaction-time measure |
The comparison describes different designs, not a ranking of which network is better. Protocol descriptions and the supply comparison are summarized by ethereum.org’s Bitcoin and Ethereum comparison; Bitcoin’s ledger and confirmation details are also covered in Bitcoin.org’s FAQ.
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What is Bitcoin, and how does it work?
Bitcoin is a network for sending and recording bitcoin. A transaction is authorized using a private key and broadcast to the network. Miners gather pending transactions into blocks using proof of work, while Bitcoin nodes independently check that the blocks follow the protocol rules. Once accepted, transactions become part of the shared ledger.
Proof of work means miners expend computing effort to propose valid blocks. Bitcoin’s protocol adjusts mining difficulty to keep the average block interval near 10 minutes, according to Bitcoin.org’s FAQ. That is an average interval between blocks, not a promise that every payment is final in 10 minutes.
Bitcoin records value using unspent transaction outputs, or UTXOs. In practical terms, a transaction spends outputs from earlier transactions and creates new outputs that can be spent later. Bitcoin also supports scripts that set conditions on spending; saying it has no scripting at all would be inaccurate. Its design, however, is centered on peer-to-peer value transfer rather than a broadly programmable application platform.
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Ethereum is a blockchain network with a shared execution environment called the Ethereum Virtual Machine, or EVM. Nodes maintain and agree on the network’s state. A transaction can transfer ETH, publish smart-contract code, or call a contract already deployed on the network. Smart contracts are programs that execute according to their code when transactions invoke them, allowing applications and digital assets to operate on the blockchain.
Ethereum uses proof of stake. Validators stake ETH and take part in proposing or checking blocks; protocol rules can penalize misconduct. Users pay fees in ETH for computation. Part of transaction fees is burned, while ETH issuance rewards validators under protocol rules. See ethereum.org’s introduction and its proof-of-stake explanation for details.
How do their consensus and security designs differ?
Bitcoin’s proof-of-work security depends on the cost and availability of mining computation, alongside nodes enforcing the protocol. Ethereum’s proof-of-stake design depends on validators staking ETH, following protocol rules and facing penalties for certain misconduct. These mechanisms have different assumptions, trade-offs and failure modes; they should not be reduced to a claim that one network is categorically more secure.
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Ethereum.org describes proof of stake as more complex and less time-proven than proof of work, while also outlining validator penalties and other trade-offs: ethereum.org’s comparison of proof of stake and proof of work. This is a design comparison, not a guarantee about how either network will perform in every circumstance.
How do supply rules differ?
Bitcoin’s protocol sets an eventual supply limit of 21 million BTC, as reported in ethereum.org’s comparison. Ethereum has no equivalent fixed maximum supply. ETH is issued to validators, and some transaction fees are burned; the balance between issuance and burning affects the amount of ETH in circulation.
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Ethereum.org also reports that Ethereum’s energy expenditure fell by approximately 99.98% after its transition to proof of stake, compared with its own proof-of-work operation. The same page describes an estimate of approximately 78 TWh per year shortly before that transition. These are Ethereum-reported figures about Ethereum’s transition, not a current, independently established Bitcoin-versus-Ethereum energy comparison: ethereum.org’s proof-of-stake and proof-of-work overview.
What do confirmation and finality mean?
On Bitcoin, a confirmation means a transaction has been included in a block. Each later block adds another confirmation, making it progressively harder to reorganize that part of the ledger. The average block interval is near 10 minutes, but the time a particular transaction takes to appear in a block can vary, and more confirmations provide additional confidence rather than an instant guarantee of irreversibility.
Ethereum’s proof-of-stake protocol provides finality when validators agree on blocks under the protocol’s rules. Finality is a settlement property, not a direct substitute for measuring how long a user waits for a transaction to be included. For that reason, a single “which is faster?” figure would need to specify what event is being timed and under what network conditions.
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Think of BTC as the asset of a network focused on peer-to-peer currency transfers, and ETH as the asset of a network designed to run programmable applications as well as transfers. The comparison is about how Bitcoin and Ethereum work; it does not determine which asset someone should buy. Prices, fees and other live market conditions are separate questions from these protocol definitions.
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