Orca Crypto
Layer 1

Ethereum

The programmable settlement layer that most of crypto is built on top of.

Updated 2026-08-305 min readReference
The short answer

The programmable settlement layer that most of crypto is built on top of. Ethereum turned a ledger into a computer. Anyone can deploy code that runs exactly as written, which is where stablecoins, lending, exchanges and NFTs all came from.

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What Ethereum is for

Ethereum turned a ledger into a computer. Anyone can deploy code that runs exactly as written, which is where stablecoins, lending, exchanges and NFTs all came from.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 1
Launched2015
ConsensusProof of stake
ThroughputAbout 15 on layer 1
FinalityAbout 13 minutes
Native tokenETH pays gas and is staked to secure the network

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

What to be aware of

  • Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
  • Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Where to go next

New to Ethereum?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.