Ethereum ETH/USD, a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart functionality, was conceived in 2013, and the network went live on July 30, 2015.
As the blockchain, whose native token is Ether celebrates its launch anniversary, Changpeng Zhao, founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, shared on Twitter a missed opportunity involving the second-largest crypto by market capitalization.
What Happened: On Sunday, Zhao shared on Twitter a picture of himself with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and the team behind the crypto. The picture was apparently taken on May 2, 2015, shortly ahead of Ethereum’s launch.
The photo was shot in Zhao's Tokyo apartment when Buterin visited him, Zhao said.
“@vitalikButerin stayed in my apartment in Tokyo during this trip. He was already working on and talking about ETH non-stop,” the Binance founder wrote.
“And I still missed (didn't buy) ETH. A miss of a lifetime,” Zhao said.
Zhao, however, chose to see the brighter side of the missed opportunity. “But then again, if I had bought ETH then, I might not have had the need or drive to start Binance. Who knows?” he reflected.
“Life gives you not too many, but multiple chances. Work hard, don’t miss the 2nd chances,” he said.
See Also: How To Buy Ethereum (ETH)
Why It's Important: Ethereum, co-founded by Buterin along with five others, traded mostly under $1 in its founding year. Assuming a person had picked up $1000 worth of Ether at $1 in 2015, they would have had 1,000 Ether tokens. The same would be worth 1.88 million, a 187,666% gain.
Ethereum is still trading way off its all-time high of $4,891.70 reached in mid-Nov. 2021, with macro uncertainties, general risk aversion, regulatory overhang and crypto industry scandals serving as drags.
The Ethereum Merge that was completed in mid-September 2022 moved the blockchain from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, and it is expected to give the blockchain network a big push forward. The upgrade has lowered energy consumption by 99.95%, according to data provided by Ethereum.org.
At last check, Ethereum traded at $1,878.38, down 0.04%, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Read Next: Analyst Predicts Ethereum Could Explode By Up To 1,556% In An AI-Powered Economy — Here’s How
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