ERC20 i Ethereum: Czy to jedno i to samo?

Many people think that Ethereum and ERC20 are interchangeable terms, but the reality is more complex. Ethereum is an open blockchain platform that enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications. ERC20, on the other hand, is a standard — a set of protocols — that defines how to build tokens operating on the Ethereum network.

Fundamental difference between the platform and the standard

To understand the relationship between Ethereum and ERC20, imagine the Internet as a platform (which is Ethereum) and HTML as a technical standard (which is ERC20). Ethereum is the infrastructure where everything happens. Through smart contracts and decentralized applications, the Ethereum network allows for solutions that were previously impossible to implement.

ERC20, being a token standard, defines specific rules. Tokens compliant with this standard can represent a wide variety of things — from digital assets to governance rights, from something useful to abstract voting rights in a project. On the Ethereum blockchain, there are more than 400,000 ERC20 token contracts, demonstrating how popular this specification has become.

Why this knowledge matters for the market

For anyone involved in the cryptocurrency world — whether investor, trader, or developer — distinguishing between Ethereum and ERC20 is fundamental to making informed decisions. Investors can better assess risks and build diversified portfolios when they understand the difference between the underlying asset (Ethereum) and tokens operating on this platform (ERC20). Traders, meanwhile, benefit from more precise market analysis and better investment strategies.

For users and software developers, this is key to understanding the capabilities and limitations of the network they can leverage in their projects.

How Ethereum 2.0 has changed the landscape

The transition of Ethereum to Proof of Stake — known as Ethereum 2.0 — has led to significant improvements. The network has become more scalable, secure, and environmentally sustainable. This transformation directly impacted the functionality of ERC20 tokens, opening new possibilities for their use.

The world of practical applications

ERC20 tokens are not just a theoretical concept — they play specific roles in real services and products:

Financial sector: Stablecoins like USDC and DAI use the ERC20 standard to provide value pegged to the US dollar. With these tokens, users have access to a stable medium of exchange and store of value directly on the blockchain.

Gaming and entertainment: Projects like Axie Infinity have built entire ecosystems around ERC20 tokens. These tokens are used both for platform governance and in-game transactions, creating a digital economy.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Lending protocols, yield farming platforms, and decentralized exchanges — all built around ERC20 tokens. These applications demonstrate how the ERC20 standard has become the backbone of modern digital finance.

Numbers speak for themselves

Current data from 2025 confirm ERC20’s dominant position on the Ethereum blockchain. The number of 400,000 active ERC20 token contracts is comparable to the fact that the total market capitalization of the top twenty ERC20 tokens alone exceeds $300 billion. This illustrates not only the popularity of the standard but also its impact on the entire cryptocurrency industry.

The future: Why it matters

Ethereum and ERC20 are not competitors but components of a system. Ethereum provides the network and technical environment, while ERC20 tokens are tools and assets operating within that environment. Each plays a unique role.

As the blockchain ecosystem evolves, both Ethereum and the ERC20 standard will continue to develop and find new applications. For investors, traders, and users, understanding this relationship is not a luxury — it is a necessity. The future of digital finance will largely be built on this fundamental relationship between the platform and the standard, between Ethereum and its ERC20 tokens.