The core difference between ETH and ETC comes from the hard fork after the 2016 The DAO incident. 1. ETH chose to recover losses through hard forks, adhere to the pragmatism concept, and support blockchain variability to cope with crises; 2. ETC adheres to "code is law" and maintains the immutability of the original chain.

Although Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC) have similar names and originated from the same blockchain, due to a major historical event, they are now two completely independent public chains with different ideas. Understanding their core differences is crucial for both investors and tech enthusiasts.

Mainstream Bitcoin Exchanges in 2025:

Ouyi okx :

Binance binance:

Huobi htx:

Origin Story: The DAO Events and Hard Forks

To understand the difference between ETH and ETC, we must go back to the 2016 "The DAO" event. The DAO is a decentralized autonomous organization established on Ethereum in the early days and the largest crowdfunding project in history at that time. However, due to a vulnerability in its smart contract, a hacker stole about $50 million worth of Ether.

In order to recover stolen assets, the Ethereum community faces a difficult choice: whether to modify the blockchain record through hard forks to transfer the stolen funds to a new contract; or to adhere to the principle of "code is law" and recognize the immutability of transactions.

Ultimately, the vast majority of community members, including founder Vitalik Buterin, voted for the hard fork. This hard fork creates a new chain, Ethereum (ETH), as we know today, on which hacker transactions are "erred". A small number of community members who adhere to the principle of "blockchain records should not be changed by anyone" chose to stay on the original chain. This old chain that has not been modified is Ethereum Classic (ETC).

Core concept: variability vs. tamper-free

ETH (Ethereum) : Its core concept is more pragmatic and flexible. The DAO event shows that when a catastrophic event occurs, the ETH community can intervene and repair the blockchain through consensus mechanisms. This "variable" or "interventable" feature allows it to cope with potential future crises, but has also sparked discussions about whether it is "decentralized" enough.

ETC (Ethereum Classic) : It adheres to the principle of "Code is Law". The ETC community believes that the essence of blockchain is that it is tampered with. Once any transaction is confirmed, it should exist forever and should not be changed by human will. This ultimate pursuit of "immutability" is ETC's most core value proposition.

Development and Ecosystem: Vitality and Silence

ETH : has the largest and most active developer community and financial support in the world (such as the Ethereum Foundation). Its technical roadmap is clear and major upgrades are constantly being carried out, such as the "The Merge" upgrade from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), which greatly improves network efficiency and security. Today, most blockchain applications such as DeFi, NFT, and GameFi are built on Ethereum, forming an unparalleled and huge ecosystem.

ETC (Ethereum Classic) : Its developer community is much smaller and the development process is relatively slow. It chose to continue to use the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism. Although it also supports smart contracts and DApps, its on-chain ecosystem is far less large and active than ETH.

Safety and market performance

ETH (Ethereum) : After completing the PoS transformation, its network security is guaranteed by billions of dollars of pledged ETH, and the cost of launching an attack is extremely high. It is considered to be one of the most secure smart contract platforms at present. As the second largest cryptocurrency in market capitalization, its recognition and liquidity in the market are at the top level.

ETC (Ethereum Classic) : Because it adheres to PoW and has finally had a computing power far lower than the level before ETH transformation, the ETC network is relatively more susceptible to 51% attacks (that is, it is possible to tamper with transactions by mastering more than half of the computing power of the entire network). Several such attacks have indeed occurred in history. Its market value and market influence are far less than ETH, and are more regarded as a speculative asset or bet on the concept of "code is law".

How to trade ETH and ETC? Recommended by mainstream exchanges

As mainstream crypto assets, ETH and ETC can be easily traded on major top exchanges around the world. For beginners and senior traders, choosing a safe and liquid platform is crucial. Here are some popular exchanges:

1. Binance

As the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance provides excellent liquidity and depth to ETH and ETC. Users can conduct spot trading, contract trading and use a variety of financial derivatives here, which is one of the preferred platforms for trading these two assets.

2. Ouyi (OKX)

Ouyi is known for its professional and comprehensive trading tools and strong risk control system. It also provides a rich ETH and ETC trading pairs and supports a variety of trading models. Its unified account system provides great convenience for professional traders.

3. Huobi (HTX/Huobi)

Huobi is a long-standing exchange that has won the trust of a large number of users for its stability and security. When trading ETH and ETC on Huobi, users can enjoy a reliable trading experience and high-quality customer service.

4. gate.io (Sesame opens door)

Gate.io is known for its wide variety of currencies, providing users with an extremely wide range of asset choices. In addition to ETH and ETC, users can find many other potential projects here, suitable for users who want to explore more investment opportunities.

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