When people talk about Bitcoin, the first and most widely recognized cryptocurrency designed as digital gold. Also known as BTC, it was built to be a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that avoids banks and middlemen. Meanwhile, Ethereum, a blockchain platform that lets developers build apps and smart contracts. Also known as ETH, it turned blockchain from a ledger into a programmable computer. These two aren’t just competitors—they’re different species in the crypto ecosystem. Bitcoin is about storing value. Ethereum is about building on top of value.
The difference shows up in how they handle transactions. Bitcoin’s network processes about 7 transactions per second. Ethereum used to be similar, but after the EIP-1559, a major upgrade that changed how transaction fees work and introduced ETH token burning, it became more efficient and predictable. That burn feature alone has changed the ETH supply, the total amount of Ethereum in circulation, which now decreases over time under normal usage. Bitcoin, on the other hand, has a fixed supply of 21 million coins with no burning mechanism—its scarcity is baked in from day one.
Security works differently too. Bitcoin’s network is older, larger, and more decentralized. It’s never been successfully hacked at the protocol level. Ethereum, while secure, has had smart contract exploits—like the 2016 DAO attack—that forced hard forks. That’s not a flaw in Ethereum itself, but a reminder that code can be buggy. Bitcoin doesn’t run complex code—it just moves money. Ethereum runs entire programs. That’s powerful, but it adds risk.
You’ll also see the difference in how people use them. Bitcoin is often held like gold—bought, stored, and rarely moved. Ethereum is more like electricity: you pay for it to run apps, trade tokens, lend money, or play games. Most DeFi projects, NFT marketplaces, and dApps run on Ethereum because it lets developers build without asking permission. Bitcoin can’t do that. It’s not designed to.
And then there’s the community. Bitcoin’s core group believes in simplicity, stability, and resistance to change. Ethereum’s team pushes for constant upgrades—proof of stake, layer-2 scaling, new features. One wants to be a store of value. The other wants to be the world’s computer.
When you look at the posts here, you’ll see how these differences play out in real life: from Bitcoin surviving 51% attacks that took down smaller chains, to Ethereum’s fee-burning system reshaping its economics, to how blockchain forensics tools trace transactions on both networks. You’ll find how exchanges secure private keys using HSMs for both, how regulations treat them differently, and why one is a safe haven while the other is a development hub.
This isn’t about picking a winner. It’s about understanding what each one does best—and where you fit in. Whether you’re holding, trading, or building, knowing the difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum changes how you move in this space.
Bitcoin takes 10 minutes per block; Ethereum takes 12 seconds. This difference isn't an accident-it defines how each network is used. Learn why speed, security, and real-world use cases split them apart.