The highly anticipated Ethereum Merge is finally entering its final countdown phase. As of August 25th, data from OKLink's "Ethereum Merge Countdown" page indicates the merge is expected to complete in approximately 21 days. Ethereum officials have confirmed the final merge date is projected around September 16th.
What Is the Ethereum Merge?
Simply put, the merge represents Ethereum's transition from Proof-of-Work (POW) to Proof-of-Stake (POS) consensus mechanisms:
- POW: Relies on computational power for block production, favoring miners
- POS: Uses asset staking, benefiting users and developers
This fundamental shift means Ethereum will no longer rely on energy-intensive mining. Instead, users can participate by staking ETH directly on-chain to validate transactions and earn rewards—eliminating mining while lowering participation barriers.
10 Critical Questions About the Ethereum Merge
1. How Does the Merge Relate to Ethereum 2.0?
The merge is Phase 1 of Ethereum's multi-stage upgrade toward Ethereum 2.0. Four additional optimization phases will follow, with full Ethereum 2.0 implementation expected by 2025. Theoretically, this could increase TPS (transactions per second) from ~50 to 100,000.
2. Will Gas Fees and TPS Improve Post-Merge?
While gas fees and TPS will see moderate improvements, significant enhancements require later upgrades like sharding. However, POS adoption will reduce Ethereum's energy consumption by over 99%, solving its environmental impact.
3. How Will the Merge Create ETH Deflation?
Under POW, Ethereum issues new ETH as mining rewards, creating inflation. Post-merge:
- No additional ETH issuance for miners
- Existing ETH supply decreases via EIP-1559 fee burns
This shifts Ethereum into a deflationary model, supporting long-term price stability.
4. Why Must Validators Stake 32 ETH?
32 ETH was calculated as the optimal stake amount for efficient message propagation in POS systems. This number may adjust dynamically during future optimizations.
5. Will Staked ETH Flood the Market Post-Merge?
No. Staked ETH (currently ~13.1M ETH) becomes withdrawable 6-12 months post-merge via controlled, queued releases to prevent market dumping.
6. Why Has the Merge Been Delayed Repeatedly?
Coordinating this fundamental shift across Ethereum's global ecosystem—with millions of users, developers, and miners—requires extensive technical and governance alignment. Three successful testnet merges have paved the way for the September 16th target.
7. Could Ethereum Face New Security Threats Post-Merge?
POS introduces different risks:
- Replaces 51% mining attacks with "wealth attacks" where large stakers could manipulate governance
- Higher stakes enable greater potential for protocol sabotage
8. How Are Major Projects Responding to ETHs vs. ETHw?
Most ecosystem leaders support ETHs (POS chain), including:
- Stablecoin issuers Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC)
- DeFi protocols like Chainlink, Aave, and Curve
- NFT projects including Yuga Labs (BAYC)
ETHw (POW fork) garners limited support, primarily from smaller projects and mining-focused groups.
9. Where Will POW Miners Go If the Fork Fails?
Options include:
- Migrating to other POW chains like Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Mining niche assets (e.g., Grin)
- Providing alternative compute services
👉 How to stake ETH securely post-merge
10. How Can Users Benefit from the Merge?
The merge enables passive income opportunities through ETH staking. Services like OKX's ETH 2.0 staking allow participation with just 0.1 ETH, offering 4%-20% annual yields via BETH tokens redeemable 1:1 post-merge.
FAQs
Q: Is my ETH safe during the merge?
A: Yes. ETH holders need take no action—the merge occurs at the protocol level.
Q: Will transaction speeds improve immediately?
A: Minor TPS gains will occur, but major scalability requires later upgrades.
Q: Should I buy ETH before the merge?
A: Price volatility is expected. Always conduct personal research and manage risk appropriately.
👉 Ethereum staking opportunities explained
Key Takeaways
- The merge begins Ethereum's transition to POS, reducing energy use by 99%+
- ETH becomes deflationary post-merge via EIP-1559 burns
- Staking replaces mining, enabling passive income opportunities
- Major ecosystem players overwhelmingly support the POS chain
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency investments carry risk. This content is educational only and not financial advice.