What is the price of ethereum today?
Ethereum, or 1 ETH, traded at $2,636.77 as of 8 a.m. ET. The highest intraday price the cryptocurrency reached in the past year was $4,088.00 on March 12, 2024.
Ethereum chart
*The return comparisons are as of 8 a.m. ET.
While not the first altcoin, ethereum is among the best-known. The cryptocurrency has seen rapid growth in its blockchain and value since its 2015 launch.
Ethereum price history
The chart pulls data as of 8 a.m. ET daily and doesn’t display intraday highs or lows.
Ethereum’s 52-week intraday high was $4,088.00 on March 12, 2024. Its 52-week intraday low was $1,520.00 on Oct. 12, 2023.
The leading altcoin has shifted global financial markets and amassed a market capitalization of $316.10 billion. It’s up 66% year over year.
Ethereum market cap
Ethereum’s market cap is second to bitcoin’s. Bitcoin and ethereum make up 70% of the crypto market. The third-largest crypto is Solana. Its market cap is $88.31 billion.
Ethereum’s market cap is similar to that of major blue-chip stocks like Coca-Cola Co. (KO) at $307 billion and Merck & Co. (MRK) at $291 billion.
What is ethereum? And how does ethereum work?
Ethereum is a blockchain-based network that facilitates secure, decentralized financial transactions. Its native crypto is ether.
Its programmable blockchain lets users securely verify and execute code using smart contracts and decentralized applications. This differs from bitcoin, which has a limited capacity to run smart contracts. Smart contracts are software applications that run automatically on the blockchain when specific conditions are met.
By operating on a decentralized network, ethereum helps users avoid third parties. This could appeal to you if you don’t want to rely on Big Tech companies. Instead of running software on Google’s servers, for example, you can leverage ethereum’s network.
It can run a variety of applications for socializing, gaming, gambling and decentralized finance. The network also houses nonfungible tokens, which represent ownership of unique digital assets.
Ethereum gas price
Users pay ethereum gas fees to process transactions or use smart contracts on the network. They’re similar to highway tolls.
Gas fees are paid in gwei, a unit representing one billionth of one ETH.
A history of ethereum prices
Ethereum prices 2015-2020
Like bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies, ethereum had humble beginnings. Shortly after its launch in July 2015, ETH hit its all-time low of 42 cents in October 2015.
The popularity and trading volumes of cryptocurrencies started to snowball in 2017. ETH prices reached $1,000 for the first time in January 2018. The crypto ultimately peaked at around $1,300 less than two weeks later.
CME Group’s announcement that it would launch bitcoin futures contracts drove ethereum’s 2017 rally. They were the first cryptocurrency-related products offered by a regulated U.S. financial institution.
Enthusiasm for cryptocurrency died down in 2018. That led to one of several crypto winters in the past decade.
The next crypto boom began in 2020. This time, ETH’s parabolic rise was partly driven by government shutdowns of sports, casinos, and other leisure and entertainment options. Multiple government stimulus checks also left many Americans with extra disposable income to buy crypto.
Ethereum prices 2021-2024
Ethereum prices reached $4,891.70 on Nov. 16, 2021. But rising interest rates cooled investor enthusiasm for risk assets in 2022. A string of crypto industry layoffs and bankruptcies weighed on crypto prices, culminating in the bankruptcy of leading cryptocurrency exchange FTX in November 2022. ETH prices dipped below $900 during the 2022 crypto winter.
The ethereum rally resumed in 2023 and into 2024 as investors grew more optimistic about the U.S. economic outlook. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of several bitcoin spot ETFs in January 2024 further bolstered ethereum prices.
Ether spot ETFs began trading in the U.S. on July 23, 2024. Some of these funds come from BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale. They can be found on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
In early August 2024, ethereum prices plummeted after a widespread crypto sell-off hit global markets. Prices plunged from well above the $3,000 threshold on Aug. 3 to less than $2,500 on Aug. 4. Currently, ETH trades at $2,636.77.
Bitcoin price vs. ethereum price
Since ethereum launched in 2015, ethereum and bitcoin have seen massive growth.
The performance gap between the two shifted with the launch of bitcoin spot ETFs. Ethereum is up 66% year over year, compared to a 143% gain for bitcoin.
How to buy ethereum
One popular way to buy ETH is through crypto exchanges like Binance, Coinbase and Kraken.
You might be more comfortable using online brokerages that support cryptocurrency trading, such as Interactive Brokers, Webull, and Robinhood.
Payment apps like Venmo and PayPal have options for buying ETH. Cryptocurrency ATMs also allow for direct purchases.
How to store ethereum
To store, send and receive ETH, you need a crypto wallet.
Private keys protect these digital wallets. The person with the private key controls the wallet’s contents.
Ethereum wallets come in different forms. Some are hardware wallets that look like USB sticks. Others are software wallet apps on smartphones, tablets or computers. Wallets can also be hot or cold. Hot wallets are connected to the internet, offering convenience. Cold wallets aren’t connected to the internet and are generally considered more secure.
Ethereum ETFs
Investors now have alternatives to buying ETH directly. Ethereum funds
Approved by the SEC in late 2023, ethereum futures ETFs are relatively new. They don’t invest directly. Rather, they hold futures contracts. The Bitwise Ethereum Strategy ETF (AETH), VanEck Ethereum Strategy ETF (EFUT) and ProShares Ether Strategy ETF (EETH) are the three leading ethereum futures ETFs.
Ether spot ETFs, which include the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH), and Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), debuted in July 2024.
The approval of bitcoin and ether spot ETFs may indicate a softening toward some cryptos in their legal fights.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Ethereum reached its all-time intraday high of $4,891.70 on Nov. 16, 2021.
Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile. That makes it difficult to predict how its price will behave. Ethereum has performed exceptionally well overall since its launch in 2015. But past performance is no guarantee of future results.
