<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Want to invest in crypto? Here’s your guide to the biggest names in digital currency"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Cryptocurrency investments have gotten a lot of attention lately, due in part to the huge returns that some, like <strong>Ethereum </strong><span data-id="343717">(CRYPTO: ETH),</span> have generated.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">What is Ethereum? It is a blockchain technology platform that allows software developers and programmers to create applications that can be transacted using a token called Ether. Among the items that are traded using Ether are NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, as well as decentralized finance applications. Ethereum has a market cap of about $516 billion, making it the second-largest cryptocurrency behind <strong>Bitcoin</strong>.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">In this relatively new realm of cryptocurrency, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/financials/cryptocurrency-stocks/ethereum-stock/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=fed308d8-e17e-459a-83bb-015076b97697" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Ethereum</a> is certainly one of the mainstream options. A recent survey by Bankrate found that 49% of Millennials, 37% of Gen Xers, and 22% of Baby Boomers are comfortable investing in crypto assets. In fact, a growing number of people are considering crypto assets in their retirement portfolios. Should Ethereum be part of your investment strategy – and could it help you retire early?</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">► <strong>The Daily Money: </strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/the-daily-money/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Get our latest personal finance stories in your inbox</a></p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_h2">Meteoric rise</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/10/05/could-ethereum-help-you-become-a-millionaire/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=fed308d8-e17e-459a-83bb-015076b97697" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Ethereum</a> launched in 2015, it has been on a rocket ship. When it debuted in August 2015, one Ether token was trading at a value of $2.77 – and that immediately dropped to $0.75 the next day. Today, one Ether token is valued at over $4,600.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">So, if you invested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/buying-stocks/articles/if-you-bought-100-worth-of-ethereum-at-the-start-heres-how-much-youd-have-today/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=fed308d8-e17e-459a-83bb-015076b97697" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">$100 in Ethereum</a> back in August of 2015 at $0.75 per token, it would have bought you about 134 tokens. Those 134 tokens would be worth...</p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2021/12/04/could-ethereum-help-you-retire-early/49463283/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
