Five years ago today, Ethereum's genesis block marked the official network launch.

Today, most members of the community spend their time thinking about all of the work that's left to be done, but it's also important to recognize on this fifth anniversary of Ethereum's launch just how unbelievably far we have all come, what a wild adventure every twist and turn has been, and how much all of us (and the technology) have grown.

There were times when some hoped that the protocol would just run as intended, or that builders might try to launch the first applications, that users would want to try out those applications, or that someone might some day use Ethereum to create real and positive impact.

So while the focus will stay on all that's left to do, it would have been hard five years ago to imagine all of the thinkers, doers, students, governments, enterprises and other innovators that are making real and impactful change using Ethereum today. The same is true of all of the unexpected bumps, forks, the incredible meetups/events, memes and passionate debates seen along the way; none of us around this community would be where we are today if not for those “unexpected” moments 😉.

Everyone that makes up Ethereum’s ecosystem once waited for the first contracts to come online. Today there are millions! And we've long since lost track of the number of applications that are now unmapped stars to us. It's hard for the most dedicated followers to keep track of even the protocol-level innovations taking place.

In these five years, Ethereum has grown beyond any builder, team, or organization, but hopefully you're as inspired as ever to keep working together to help Ethereum become everything that we all dream for it to be and more. 🦄

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Ethereum Foundation Team