Elementary

What is Ethereum

Elementary Track 01

Ethereum Transcending Bitcoin's Limitations

In 2013, 19-year-old Vitalik Buterin was fascinated by Bitcoin but soon discovered its limits. A "world computer" that could run any programon the blockchain was needed.

What you'll learn in this module

  • Why Ethereum was created and Bitcoin's limitations
  • Smart contracts — automated agreements executed by code
  • ETH token roles: gas fees · staking · DeFi collateral
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2013 — Vitalik Buterin, age 19

Vitalik Buterin, a programmer from Canada, was fascinated by Bitcoin. But he soon discovered its limits — Bitcoin can only send 'money' and cannot execute 'logic'.

He wrote the Ethereum whitepaper. The core idea was simple: build a "World Computer"that can run any program on the blockchain.

▼ Click to explore things Bitcoin cannot do

💡 Ethereum solves these limitations with smart contracts. Code that runs on the blockchain — rules enforced automatically without intermediaries.