2-Cyclopenten-1-one ethylene ketal serves as a key intermediate in organic synthesis, particularly for protecting the ketone group in 2-cyclopenten-1-one. This protection enables selective functionalization at other positions, making it valuable in the synthesis of complex cyclic natural products such as terpenoids and steroids. It is also utilized in the fragrance and perfume industries as a building block for creating aroma chemicals with distinctive scents upon further transformation.