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Ethereum, ETH and smart contracts: three concepts not to confuse
The difference between the Ethereum network, the ETH asset and software running on the network, and how to read claims about crypto applications.
Ethereum is a network on which applications can run, and ETH is its native asset. A smart contract is software operating on the network. These concepts are related, but they are not three names for the same thing. The distinction helps clarify exactly what each headline is discussing.
Network, asset and application
Ethereum.org presents Ethereum as infrastructure for decentralised applications and explains ETH's role in the system. An application built on the network does not automatically become equivalent to the network itself, and a token's name alone does not explain how it works.
When reading about a product, try writing a simple sentence: which network it uses, which asset it requires and what action the user performs. If the page makes that sentence difficult to complete, there is still information worth requesting.
What makes a smart contract smart
Ethereum.org's developer documentation defines a smart contract as a program containing code and state, located at an address on the network. The name does not guarantee that the code is error-free, the product suits you or the legal agreement is clear.
A useful approach is to ask what the action does, who can change relevant components and which permissions are requested. This article is not a guide to signing a particular transaction and does not assume that a general explanation is enough to understand every permission request.
Do not judge a product by the success of its infrastructure
Even when a network is well known and used by many applications, the specific application needs to be checked separately. What documentation does it provide? Who is responsible for the interface? What is presented as fact and what is a marketing argument?
A content site can help unpack the terms, but does not endorse a product simply because it appears in an article. Before acting, look for the service's precise details and distinguish knowledge of the network from checking the action you intend to take.