Bitcoin vs. Ethereum
A neutral side-by-side look at Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH): live market data, how each one works and what it's for.
Bitcoin is digital money with a fixed supply of 21 million coins, secured by mining. Ethereum is a platform for running programs (smart contracts), secured by staking, and ETH pays for using it. They're the two largest cryptocurrencies but were built for different jobs.
Live comparison
| Measure | Bitcoin BTC | Ethereum ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Market cap | — | — |
| Market cap rank | — | — |
| 24h trading volume | — | — |
| 24h change | — | — |
| 7-day change | — | — |
| Circulating supply | — | — |
| Maximum supply (CoinGecko) | — | — |
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Key facts side by side
| Measure | Bitcoin BTC | Ethereum ETH |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2009 (January 3) | 2015 (July 30) |
| Created by | Satoshi Nakamoto (a pseudonym; identity unknown) | Vitalik Buterin and co-founders; supported by the Ethereum Foundation |
| How it's secured | Proof of work (SHA-256 mining) | Proof of stake (since the Merge in September 2022) |
| What it's for | Scarce digital money and a store of value, with no company or government in charge | A platform for smart contracts: home of most tokens, stablecoins, DeFi and NFTs |
| Maximum supply | 21,000,000 BTC | No fixed maximum (new ETH goes to validators; part of every fee is burned) |
How they differ
- Purpose: Bitcoin focuses on being money and a store of value. Ethereum is a general platform that most tokens, stablecoins and DeFi apps run on.
- Security: Bitcoin uses proof of work (miners and electricity). Ethereum switched to proof of stake in 2022, cutting its energy use by about 99.95%.
- Supply: Bitcoin's 21 million cap is fixed. ETH has no fixed cap; its supply depends on how much is issued to validators versus burned in fees.
- Speed: a new Bitcoin block comes about every 10 minutes; Ethereum's every 12 seconds.
This page compares how two cryptocurrencies work. It doesn't say which to buy, and nobody can reliably predict their prices. Both can fall sharply. Read how to research a cryptocurrency before deciding anything.
Questions
Is Bitcoin better than Ethereum?
Neither is "better" in general. They do different things: Bitcoin aims to be simple, scarce money that changes very slowly, while Ethereum aims to be a flexible platform for apps and changes more often. Which one fits depends on what you want to understand or use, and this isn't a recommendation to buy either.
Can I send bitcoin to an Ethereum address?
No. They're separate networks. Sending BTC to an Ethereum address (or the reverse) usually means the coins are lost. Wrapped bitcoin on Ethereum is a different token. See sent crypto to the wrong network.
Why is one coin's price so much higher than the other's?
The price of a single coin mostly reflects how many coins exist. Bitcoin and Ethereum have very different supplies, so comparing prices per coin is misleading. Market cap (price × coins in circulation) is a better measure of size; see market cap explained.
Where does the live data come from?
From CoinGecko's public API, averaged across many exchanges and refreshed about once a minute. The facts table comes from each project's own documentation and the references listed under Sources.
Where to next
Sources
- Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (bitcoin.org)
- Bitcoin (Wikipedia)
- What is ether? (ethereum.org)
- The Merge (ethereum.org)
- ETH supply after the Merge (ethereum.org)
- CoinGecko API (live market data)
Facts checked against the sources listed, as of October 29, 2026. Live data by CoinGecko, for information only and possibly delayed. Educational only; not financial advice. How we write and check pages.