Proof of Stake & The Merge
How Ethereum secures its network without energy-intensive mining.
What you’ll learn
- •Proof of Stake secures the network via staked cryptocurrency collateral instead of computational competition.
- •Validators who stake ETH are selected to propose and verify blocks and earn rewards for honest participation.
- •Dishonest validators can have a portion of their staked funds destroyed ('slashed') as a deterrent.
- •The Merge, completed in September 2022, switched Ethereum's entire live network from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake.
- •The switch cut Ethereum's energy consumption by roughly 99% without changing everyday user experience.
- •The Merge is a real example of a major blockchain evolving through broad community coordination rather than centralised decree.
Full lesson and quiz for subscribers.
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