Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: What's Actually Different (Beyond the Price)

Bitcoin was designed primarily to be digital money — a way to store and transfer value without a bank. Its scripting capability is intentionally limited, which is a feature: less code running means a smaller attack surface for a network meant to hold serious value long-term.

Ethereum was designed as a general-purpose computing platform. Its blockchain can run arbitrary programs (smart contracts), which is why it hosts everything from stablecoins to lending platforms to digital art marketplaces.

Neither is strictly 'better' — they're optimized for different jobs. Bitcoin is closer to digital gold; Ethereum is closer to a global, permissionless app platform. Most balanced beginner portfolios include both for that reason.