BTC vs ETH — Side by Side
| Feature | BTC | ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Layer 1 | Layer 1 |
| Consensus | Proof of Work | Proof of Stake |
| Launched | 2009 | 2015 |
| Founder | Satoshi Nakamoto | Vitalik Buterin |
When to Use Each
BTC
- +Fixed 21 million supply cap — mathematically enforced digital scarcity
- +Most secure and decentralized blockchain by cumulative proof-of-work hash power
- +Global liquidity — trades 24/7 on hundreds of exchanges across every major market
ETH
- +Largest DeFi ecosystem — Aave, Uniswap, MakerDAO, Lido, and hundreds of protocols
- +Deflationary tokenomics via EIP-1559 — ETH supply can shrink during high activity periods
- +Proof of Stake consensus with 900,000+ validators — most decentralized PoS network