🌐 Ethereum — It's More Than Just ETH

💧 Getting Started with Ethereum: A Human-Friendly Dive into Wallets, Contracts, and Faucets

When I first heard about Ethereum, I thought it was just "another crypto coin." But once I scratched the surface, I realized Ethereum is more like a programmable internet of value — where people can build smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even their own digital economies.

In this article, I’ll walk you through some Ethereum basics I picked up from Chapter 2 of the open-source book Mastering Ethereum. Whether you’re a dev, a curious learner, or someone experimenting with Web3, this is for you.

🌐 Ethereum Basics — It's More Than Just ETH

Ethereum is not just a place to store or send value; it's a platform where anyone can write code that interacts with money directly. These code snippets are called smart contracts — think of them like digital vending machines: send money, get an action.

💱 Understanding Ether Units Without Going Crazy

Ethereum’s currency, Ether (ETH), isn’t always measured in whole numbers.

Here’s a quick scale:

1 ETH = 1,000,000,000 Gwei = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Wei

For most purposes, Gwei is what you’ll see (especially in gas fees), but Wei is the smallest unit, like cents to the dollar — just microscopic.

🧰 Picking a Wallet — Your Web3 Keychain

To interact with Ethereum, you need a wallet — not to store ETH like a bag, but to hold your keys that prove ownership of funds.

Popular beginner-friendly options:

MetaMask (browser extension & mobile)

Rainbow (mobile-first and clean UI)

MyEtherWallet or Remix Wallet (dev-friendly)

👤 EOAs vs. Contracts — Two Types of Ethereum Accounts

In Ethereum, there are two kinds of accounts:

EOAs (Externally Owned Accounts): Controlled by people using wallets (you!)

Contracts: Controlled by code deployed on-chain

EOAs send transactions. Contracts can’t initiate them — they only respond.

🔨 Building a Simple Smart Contract — The Faucet

A faucet contract lets people withdraw a small amount of ETH — useful on test networks. Here’s a really simple one:

It accepts ETH, then allows anyone to withdraw up to 0.1 ETH (if it has enough balance). Simple and sweet.

🧪 Switching to a Test Network (Because Real ETH is Expensive)

You don’t want to burn real ETH while learning. That’s why Ethereum has testnets like Sepolia or Goerli. These simulate the real network but use fake ETH.

In MetaMask, you can switch networks and get free test ETH from faucets online. Just search “Sepolia faucet.”

🔍 Exploring and Interacting with the Contract

Once deployed:

Use Remix, MetaMask, or tools like Etherscan to interact with your contract.

On Etherscan, you can also view the contract address, transaction history, and even "internal transactions" (like that withdraw() function call from the faucet).

💡 Control = Responsibility

Here’s the kicker: once you have your own wallet, you are the bank. If you lose your private key or passphrase, there’s no “Forgot Password” button. Be careful, back up your keys, and never share them.

🚀 Conclusion

Learning Ethereum felt overwhelming at first, but building and deploying this simple faucet made it all click. I now see Ethereum not just as "crypto stuff," but as a global open system where anyone can build, test, and create value.

If you're curious about Web3, start small — play with wallets, write a tiny contract, and get your hands a little dirty (with test ETH, of course 😄).