Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain and the second-largest asset by market capitalization in the cryptocurrency market, second only to Bitcoin. It serves as the primary fuel (Gas) on the Ethereum network, used to pay for transaction fees, smart contract execution, and interactions with decentralized applications (dApps). As of January 2026, its price typically fluctuates around $3000, and it plays a central role in the DeFi and NFT sectors.