Ethereum Classic is the original protocol of Ethereum. As a result of the massive hack on the Ethereum-based DAO, in which around 14% of all ETH in circulation were stolen, a hard fork was proposed to return the stolen funds to their owners. This caused an ideological split revolving around the question of changing previous transactions in the blockchain. Some Ethereum holders rejected the hard fork, and decided to keep using the original protocol, based on the principle that the blockchain is immutable, and cannot be changed.

Ethereum is a blockchain-based computing platform and operating system whose core innovation is enabling smart contracts. Ethereum's smart contract functionality, and versatile scripting language, have made it the most popular network for creating decentralized applications. What makes Ethereum different from Bitcoin is that its primary purpose is to serve as a general purpose blockchain for creating DApps, and not as a payment network. Ethereum was created by Vitalik Buterin. It was launched in July 2015 and has become one of the most important blockchain platforms in the industry. Ether is the native currency of the Ethereum blockchain and can can be used as a transfer of value, as well as a form of compensation for mining. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) executes scripts using a network of public nodes. "Gas" is used as an internal transaction pricing mechanism that decides how resources are used on the network.