The market volatility of Bitcoin and Ripple has been beneficial for Ethereum, which has moved back into place as the second largest digital currency in CoinMarketCap rankings. While Bitcoin rose by 1,000% in value in 2017, Ethereum gained ten times its value, going from $10 per token to $1,000 within the 12 month period.

The two leading cryptocurrencies may enjoy similar success, but their underlying technology is definitely different, even though both are based on the blockchain principle. The big advantage for Ethereum lies in its smart contracts. The flagship system sets Ethereum apart from Bitcoin, making it a platform of choice for launching ICOs. With this system, smart contract processing companies can use the underlying blockchain code to develop their own decentralised applications or dapps.

In a January 8thCNBC interview, Ethereum\'s co-creator said that there could well be a mass adoption of the Ethereum protocol because its open-source functionality made it viable for a wide range of diverse Blockchain applications. Steven Nerayoff stated that while fintech is the natural application for blockchain, the industry is becoming increasingly diverse, with projects in government and energy as well as in gaming and other innovative applications like CryptoKitties.

Nerayoff predicted a vast growth in 2018, not only for Ethereum but for crypto and blockchain as a whole