
The Merge reduced Ethereum's energy consumption by ~99.95% and could set the stage for future upgrades to improve transaction speeds, scalability, and transaction fees.Įthereum 2.0 - This term was commonly used to refer to the future of Ethereum and the set of upgrades that would eventually see it transition to Proof of Stake.
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The Merge - This was a 2022 upgrade that merged the original Ethereum Mainnet with the Beacon Chain to form a single Proof of Stake blockchain. It ran in parallel to the original Proof of Work Ethereum blockchain. The rewards are paid in the native token of the blockchain, ie ETH, and come from gas fees (transaction fees) and the ETH tokens that are minted with each new block.īeacon Chain - Launched in 2020, the Beacon Chain was the Proof of Stake blockchain designed to test out the consensus mechanism before its implementation on the Ethereum Mainnet. Staking rewards - These are the tokens that validators receive in return for their service. Their purpose is to validate transactions, store data, and add new blocks to the blockchain. Ethereum Staking - Useful Words To KnowĮthereum validators - These are the participants in Ethereum's Proof of Stake consensus mechanism. Mining in a Proof of Work blockchain requires a lot of power, so when the Ethereum ecosystem transitioned from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, it became a lot more energy efficient. The first computer to do so wins the honor of processing transactions for the new block, for which it will earn rewards. This meant it was secured by mining - a system in which a network of computers compete to solve cryptographic puzzles.

Proof of Stake vs Proof of Workīefore the Ethereum blockchain transitioned to Proof of Stake, it was a Proof of Work network, like Bitcoin. They won't be responsible for the validation process, but they will still earn a proportional share of rewards, minus a fee charged by the staking provider.

People with less than 32 ETH can still take part in the system by delegating their ETH to a validator. They can then validate transactions on the blockchain, for which they receive staking rewards in the form of more ETH tokens.Įthereum validators are incentivized to process Ethereum transactions accurately, as if they don't, they could lose some or all of the ETH they stake. Anyone who wants to become a validator must stake 32 ETH, ie deposit 32 ETH into the Ethereum staking contract.

Staking is the method by which the Ethereum blockchain and other Proof of Stake networks are secured.
