What is The Merge?
The Merge is the name of Ethereum's September 2022 upgrade that replaced Proof of Work mining with the Proof of Stake Beacon Chain. It cut Ethereum's energy use by ~99.95% and made staking the network's consensus mechanism.
Why The Merge matters
Understanding The Merge is part of building a solid mental model of how Bitcoin, blockchain and Web3 systems actually work. Concepts in the Ethereum category sit at the foundation of the broader stack — get them right and the rest is far easier.
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Reading the definition is a start. ZeroToBlock teaches concepts like The Merge through hands-on, browser-based simulations. Build the mental model by actually using it:
- Bitcoin 101 — interactive fundamentals course
- Bitcoin Proof of Work — mining, hashing and consensus
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Related terms
- Proof of Stake — A consensus mechanism where validators stake capital instead of burning energy.
- Ethereum — A programmable blockchain that supports smart contracts.
- Validator — A node that proposes and attests to blocks in PoS.
More ethereum terms
- DeFi (Decentralized Finance) — Financial services built from smart contracts.
- EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) — The execution environment for Ethereum smart contracts.
- Gas — The unit measuring computational cost on Ethereum.
- NFT (Non-Fungible Token) — A unique, non-interchangeable token on a blockchain.
- Smart Contract — Code on a blockchain that automatically enforces its rules.
- Solidity — The most popular programming language for Ethereum smart contracts.
- Web3 — An umbrella term for blockchain-based, user-owned internet applications.
- DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) — An on-chain organization governed by token holders.
Keep exploring
Continue with the full blockchain glossary — 136 terms in total — or read the developer blog and FAQ for deeper context.