What is Ethereum? A Beginner's Explanation in Plain English

Ethereum was proposed in 2013 and brought to life in 2014 by Vitalik Buterin. Unlike the Bitcoin network which was designed for Bitcoin transactions only, Ethereum is a DIY platform for decentralized apps (or Dapps) that uses smart contracts. ‘Ether’ is Ethereum network’s currency and it is used for running Dapps.