At 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time today, the price of Ethereum (1 ETH) is $2,217.74. That represents a $35.20 jump from yesterday and roughly a $695 climb compared with one year ago.<\/p>\n
Ethereum price% ChangePrice of Ethereum yesterday$2,182.54+1.61%Price of Ethereum 1 month ago$2,013.96+10.11%Price of Ethereum 1 year ago$1,522.01+45.71%Price of Ethereum yesterdayEthereum price$2,182.54% Change+1.61%Price of Ethereum 1 month agoEthereum price$2,013.96% Change+10.11%Price of Ethereum 1 year agoEthereum price$1,522.01% Change+45.71%<\/p>\n
What is Ethereum?<\/p>\n
Ethereum ranks as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with a current valuation of around $233 billion. It sits well behind Bitcoin\u2019s roughly $1.33 trillion market cap but far ahead of the third-place option, Tether, at $183 billion.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what makes Ethereum different from other cryptocurrencies: It\u2019s more than just digital money. It\u2019s actually a decentralized computing platform, which means users can build and run applications on it without any oversight from a company or bank.<\/p>\n
Put simply, developers create apps on Ethereum\u2019s blockchain network (rather than, say, Amazon<\/a> or Google<\/a> servers) to do things like borrow, lend, invest, trade, and more. The token ETH serves as the currency you use to carry out those activities.<\/p>\n Ethereum price history<\/p>\n Ethereum\u2019s initial coin offering (ICO) debuted in 2014 for just 31 cents per share. Since that time, its value has increased by more than 60,000%.<\/p>\n From 2020 to 2025, Ethereum climbed by a still respectable 46%. But that doesn\u2019t capture the full picture. Ethereum has experienced serious volatility, hitting nearly $5,000 at its peak in August 2025. That\u2019s nearly 1.6 million percent growth from its original ICO. It makes that earlier 60,000% increase look pedestrian.<\/p>\n ETH has since posted gains exceeding 80%, losses surpassing 60%, and essentially every wild swing in between. Early 2026 brought a sharp decline in Ethereum\u2019s value for several reasons, ranging from recession concerns to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin selling many millions of dollars worth of ETH.<\/p>\n The key takeaway is that Ethereum can generate massive gains and massive losses\u2014about what you\u2019d expect from other major cryptocurrencies.<\/p>\n Ethereum vs. Bitcoin<\/p>\n After Bitcoin, Ethereum sits in a distant second place in the rankings for largest cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n But remember, Ethereum wasn\u2019t originally created to function primarily as a currency; a decentralized computing platform was the main driving force behind its creation. There are numerous real-world applications for Ethereum, and its developer community is massive. Investors find this appealing because it has the potential to grow beyond being just an \u201calternative currency.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a simple way to understand the difference between these two currencies:<\/p>\n Bitcoin is often thought of like \u201cdigital gold.\u201d It\u2019s strictly a currency.<\/p>\n Ethereum is like \u201cdigital oil.\u201d It powers decentralized apps and contracts.<\/p>\n What is Ethereum staking?<\/p>\n Staking is another characteristic that distinguishes Ethereum from Bitcoin.<\/p>\n Until 2022, Ethereum\u2019s network was secured by thousands of computers racing to solve random puzzles (called \u201cproof of work\u201d). When your computer solved a puzzle, you\u2019d receive some ETH as a reward. It sounds odd (and it was), but it worked well for maintaining an honest account ledger.<\/p>\n Because this process consumed a lot of electricity and didn\u2019t make much sense, Ethereum decided to abandon it in favor of an activity called \u201cstaking.\u201d Staking is when you lock up your ETH as a security deposit to help validate transactions. Doing so earns you a reward similar to what you\u2019d get from proof of work. You\u2019re essentially earning interest on your stake.<\/p>\n What affects Ethereum\u2019s price?<\/p>\n Many factors influence the price of Ethereum, including:<\/p>\n Investor<\/a> speculation: Like most crypto, Ethereum\u2019s short-term price is heavily driven by trader sentiment and hype. Speculative trading dictates price movements more than anything else in the near term.<\/p>\n Network usage and decentralized finance adoption: When more people use Ethereum\u2019s network, demand for ETH rises. The decentralized finance (DeFi) boom of 2020-2021 was a great example of this.<\/p>\n Economic health: Crypto isn\u2019t as sensitive to interest rates as stocks, but the health of the economy still matters. When people have money to invest, they\u2019re more willing to explore alternative assets\u2014like Ethereum.<\/p>\n Regulations: Because crypto is still somewhat new, regulations are still evolving and major regulatory decisions can either scare or assuage investors.<\/p>\n Competition from other blockchains: Ethereum isn\u2019t the only \u201csmart contract\u201d platform anymore. Competitors like Solana and Avalanche offer, in some cases, faster and cheaper transactions. Depending on how Ethereum pivots will dictate its value in the long-term.<\/p>\n How to buy and invest in Ethereum<\/p>\n There are many ways to invest in Ethereum with varying degrees of risk. Below are some of the most popular options.<\/p>\n Buy Ethereum on a crypto exchange<\/p>\n Purchasing ETH directly is the most hands-on investment approach. Open an account with a cryptocurrency exchange and link your bank account to buy and hold the ETH in a digital wallet.<\/p>\n Invest in Ethereum ETFs<\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather not manage crypto directly, including dealing with wallets and private keys, an Ethereum ETF might be a better fit. These funds effectively hold the crypto on your behalf while their shares trade on stock exchanges like a regular stock.<\/p>\n Buy Ethereum-related stocks<\/p>\n Investing in publicly traded companies that are closely tied to Ethereum is a way to bet on ETH without owning it. This could include blockchain tech companies, firms that hold a significant amount of ETH on their balance sheets, etc. This lets you benefit from its performance by extension.<\/p>\n Open a crypto IRA that holds Ethereum<\/p>\n A crypto IRA lets you hold Ethereum in a tax-advantaged retirement account. It works like a traditional or Roth IRA\u2014with the same contribution limits and tax benefits.<\/p>\n Cryptocurrency prices today<\/p>\n Ethereum is one of the most prominent cryptocurrencies, but there are plenty more to choose from. Consider the following options when deciding where to place your money.<\/p>\n CryptocurrencyPrice per coin as of 9:15 a.m. on April 10, 2026Bitcoin$72,204.20Ethereum$2,217.74Tether (USDT)$1.00XRP$1.34BitcoinPrice per coin as of 9:15 a.m. on April 10, 2026$72,204.20EthereumPrice per coin as of 9:15 a.m. on April 10, 2026$2,217.74Tether (USDT)Price per coin as of 9:15 a.m. on April 10, 2026$1.00XRPPrice per coin as of 9:15 a.m. on April 10, 2026$1.34<\/p>\n Bitcoin: Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency, still the most popular crypto coin on the market. Its primary purpose is to be a store of value and a peer-to-peer payment system.<\/p>\n Tether: Tether is a \u201cstablecoin.\u201d Its value is directly tied to another asset\u2014in this case, the U.S. dollar. This makes it overall less volatile than Ethereum, but it also lacks Ethereum\u2019s potential for growth.<\/p>\n XRP: XRP is a cryptocurrency that is designed to move funds from one country to another rapidly and cheaply.<\/p>\n Is it a good time to invest in Ethereum?<\/p>\n Compared to blue-chip giants like Exxon Mobil<\/a> or IBM<\/a>, Ethereum is still pretty young. There\u2019s no foolproof way to predict how ETH will perform in the years or decades ahead. Even so, its track record over the past decade has been outstanding, and its value goes far beyond being a tradable coin. It\u2019s the foundation for an expanding world of financial apps and developer tools.<\/p>\n Still, don\u2019t forget that Ethereum has gone through some major downturns. Be ready for volatility, and know it\u2019s not ideal for investors who get uneasy with big price swings. Keep an eye on competing blockchains, and don\u2019t go all-in. Treat ETH as a smaller, thoughtful piece of a well-diversified portfolio.<\/p>\n Frequently asked questions<\/p>\n How much will Ethereum be worth in 2030?<\/p>\n