At 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on May 18, 2026, the price of Ethereum (1 ETH) is $2,144.92. That marks a $39.49 decrease from yesterday morning—and approximately a $353 drop compared with one year ago.
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What is Ethereum?
Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, currently valued at around $233 billion. It’s well behind Bitcoin’s roughly $1.33 trillion market cap—but far ahead of the third largest option, Tether, at $183 billion.
Here’s a stark difference between Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies: It’s not just digital money. It’s actually a decentralized computing platform, meaning users can build and run apps on it without the oversight of any company or bank.
In short, developers build apps on Ethereum’s blockchain network (instead of, say, Amazon or Google servers), to do things like borrow, lend, invest, trade, etc. The token ETH is the currency you’ll spend to do those sorts of things.
Ethereum price history
Ethereum’s initial coin offering (ICO) launched in 2014 for just 31 cents per share. Since then, its value has increased by more than 60,000%.
Over the past five years (2020-2025), Ethereum has risen by a still respectable 46%. But that’s not the whole story. Ethereum has been subject to serious volatility, reaching nearly $5,000 at its peak in August 2025. That’s nearly 1.6 million percent in growth from its original ICO. Kind of makes that previous 60,000% increase a little less impressive.
ETH has since seen gains of more than 80%, drops of more than 60%, and essentially every wild swing in between. Early 2026 saw a sharp decline in Ethereum value for a few reasons, from recession worries to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin selling many millions of dollars worth of ETH.
The takeaway is that Ethereum can deliver massive gains and massive losses—about on par with what you’d expect from other major cryptocurrencies.
Ethereum vs. Bitcoin
After Bitcoin, Ethereum is a distant second in the rankings for largest cryptocurrency.
But again, Ethereum wasn’t initially created to be primarily a currency; a decentralized computing platform was the main impetus for its conception. There are a variety of real-world uses for Ethereum—and its developer community is enormous. Investors like that because it has the potential to grow beyond a simple “alternative currency.”
Here’s an easy way to think about the difference between these two currencies:
- Bitcoin is often thought of like “digital gold.” It’s strictly a currency.
- Ethereum might be thought of like “digital oil.” It powers decentralized apps and contracts.
What is Ethereum staking?
Staking is another feature that sets Ethereum apart from Bitcoin.
Until 2022, Ethereum’s network was secured by thousands of computers racing to solve random puzzles (called “proof of work”). When your computer solves a puzzle, you’ll receive some ETH as a reward. Sounds odd (and it was), but it was effective in keeping an honest account ledger.
Because this process burned a lot of electricity and didn’t make a ton of sense, anyway, Ethereum decided to ditch it in favor of an activity called “staking.” Staking is when you lock up your ETH as a security deposit to help validate transactions. Doing this will earn you a reward similar to the return for proof of work. You’re effectively earning interest for your stake.
What affects Ethereum’s price?
Many factors affect the price of Ethereum, including:
- Investor speculation: Like most crypto, Ethereum’s short-term price is heavily driven by trader sentiment and hype. Speculative trading tends to dictate price movements more than anything else in the near term.
- Network usage and decentralized finance adoption: When more people use Ethereum’s network, demand for ETH goes up. The decentralized finance (DeFi) boom of 2020–2021 was a great example of this.
- Economic health: Crypto isn’t as sensitive to interest rates as stocks, but the health of the economy still matters. When people have money to invest, they’re more willing to explore alternative assets like Ethereum.
- Regulations: Because crypto is still somewhat new, regulations are still evolving and major regulatory decisions can either scare or assuage investors.
- Competition from other blockchains: Ethereum isn’t the only “smart contract” 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.
How to buy and invest in Ethereum
There are many ways to invest in Ethereum with varying degrees of risk. Below are some of the most popular options.
Buy Ethereum on a crypto exchange
Directly purchasing ETH is the most hands-on investment method. Open an account with a cryptocurrency exchange and link your bank account to buy and hold the ETH in a digital wallet.
Invest in Ethereum ETFs
If you’d 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.
Buy Ethereum-related stocks
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 proxy.
Open a crypto IRA that holds Ethereum
A crypto IRA lets you hold Ethereum in a tax-advantaged retirement account. It works like a traditional or Roth IRA—with the same contribution limits and tax benefits.
Cryptocurrency prices on May 18, 2026
Ethereum is one of the most ubiquitous cryptocurrencies, but it’s far from the only option. Consider the following options when deciding where to place your money.
- Bitcoin: Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency and remains the most popular crypto coin on the market. Again, it’s a decentralized digital currency that is designed primarily to be a store of value and a peer-to-peer payment system.
- Tether: Tether is a stablecoin, meaning its value is tied to another asset. In this case, its value is linked to the U.S. dollar. This makes Tether generally less volatile than Ethereum—but it also lacks Ethereum’s growth potential.
- XRP: XRP is a cryptocurrency specifically designed to move funds from one country to another quickly and with low fees.
Is it a good time to invest in Ethereum?
Ethereum is still relatively young compared with tried-and-true blue chip stocks like Exxon Mobil, Johnson & Johnson, or IBM. Of course, there’s no way to truly know ETH will perform in the years and decades to come. But it’s been one of the best-performing assets of the last decade, and its utility can go far beyond just being a coin you trade. It’s the backbone of a growing ecosystem of financial applications and developer tools, after all.
Just keep in mind Ethereum’s history of brutal downturns and be prepared to weather the storms. It’s not for those who spook easily. Also keep an eye on competing blockchain networks. Avoid going all-in on ETH, and instead smartly treat it as a minority asset in your diversified portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
How much will Ethereum be worth in 2030?
Cryptocurrency experts are bullish on Ethereum’s long-term trajectory. Standard Chartered has predicted ETH could even eclipse Bitcoin by then, reaching $40,000 by the next decade. More conservative estimates place it closer to $10,000. Either way, that’s a meteoric rise from its early 2026 valuation.
What is Ethereum’s all-time high price?
As of this writing, Ethereum reached its highest price ever in August 2025, hitting nearly $5,000.
Can you buy a fraction of Ethereum?
Yes. Most cryptocurrency exchanges allow for fractional investing, giving you the ability to buy portions of a single crypto coin—including ETH.
How do I start investing in Ethereum as a beginner?
If you want to invest directly in Ethereum by owning the currency, you’ll typically open an account with a cryptocurrency exchange. Once the account is created, you can transfer your money from your bank account to your crypto account and begin making purchases. Alternatively, you can indirectly invest in Ethereum via an ETF or a company that’s closely tied to Ethereum’s success.
What is Ethereum staking?
Staking involves locking up your ETH to help validate transactions on Ethereum’s decentralized network. The upside to doing this is that you’ll receive a return similar to interest with a high-yield savings account.
Is Ethereum better than Bitcoin?
Neither Ethereum or Bitcoin is objectively “better.” They do different things. Bitcoin is primarily a store of value, while Ethereum is both a platform that powers a large ecosystem of applications and a cryptocurrency. Bitcoin tends to be less volatile and more established as a payment method, while Ethereum gives you more functionality, and likely more potential for growth.
