Ethereum extends beyond transactions and in my view is most valued for its smart contract capability.

A great mini-documentary to learn more about it:

A notable quote from the video: "One of the highest ambitions of ethereum from the beginning was that you would actually be able to program the functioning of entire corporations into this global computer. and you would have not just a decentralized currency, but a decentralized company."

You should download Toshi - it's a browser built for the Ethereum network and allows you to explore apps that are built on the blockchain, like Cryptokitties and Leeroy. It demonstrates the tangible capabilities of it, which I am sure will be further demonstrated in the years to come with continued development efforts.