Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: Which is the Better Cryptocurrency?

3 min readDec 21, 2021

The debate about whether Bitcoin or Ethereum is the better cryptocurrency has been going on for a long time. It seems like every day there is a new update, so it’s hard to keep up with everything that’s happening in this space. One thing we know for sure is that both of these cryptocurrencies have their pros and cons. In this article, we’ll break down the differences between them to help you make an educated decision about what your next purchase should be.

What makes these cryptocurrencies different?

Bitcoin is the world’s first cryptocurrency, created in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto. Ethereum was founded in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin, who then went on to invent its programming language (Solidity).

Ethereum

As the number two cryptocurrency, Ethereum has a lot to live up to. The value of Ether tokens — the currency used on the Ethereum network and its main competitor for the top spot in the crypto world — grew from $12.50 per token at ETH’s inception to about $3 778,72 as I write this article. Investors are bullish on this technology! But does it deserve all those investments? Is it better than Bitcoin?

Ethereum provides computers with a user-friendly interface for working with smart contracts and applications based on blockchain technology. It makes it easier for people without knowledge of coding languages like Solidity or Serpent to create their decentralized apps (DApps) that run on this autonomous network.

On top of that, they can also execute peer-to-peer contracts automatically through an agent called “smart contract” which removes third-party interference within agreements between parties. This is very different compared to Bitcoin which uses blockchain technology mainly for financial purposes.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency that ever existed, and it is still by far the most important of them all. It has a huge market cap — over $1.117 trillion at the time of writing this article — which means more people are using bitcoin than any other cryptocurrency.

It has very good security with its blockchain technology. Bitcoin’s biggest downside is how slow transactions can be processed compared to Ethereum or some other cryptocurrencies, but it looks like they’re working on improving this.

Bitcoin is more transparent and decentralized than Ethereum. Bitcoin doesn’t have a head figure, like Vitalik Buterin who runs Ethereum; instead, it’s run by many anonymous figures whose identities aren’t known. People prefer bitcoin because they feel like there’s no one single person in charge of the currency that can make decisions without consulting others first. There are specific reasons why people choose bitcoin over other cryptocurrencies as well:

Most transactions with bitcoins take place quickly, within only an hour or two of initiating them (and sometimes even less time!), which makes it very convenient to use for shopping online and transferring money between accounts. Bitcoin also has lower transaction fees when compared to credit cards or PayPal payments, making it great if you’re on a budget but need to make digital purchases.

Bitcoin is also recognized as a legitimate currency in some countries.

Final Thoughts

Bitcoin seems better than Ethereum right now because of its popularity around the world. Even though it might be irrelevant to some extent, I think this kind of influences how much you can earn if you invest in either Bitcoin or Ethereum right now. In other words, investing in cryptocurrency such as bitcoin may give us more returns compared to investing with Etherium.

There’s no right answer here, as many factors come into play when deciding which one you should invest in or use on your site. The best thing that anyone can do is thoroughly research both options before making a decision.