https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/04/how-the-upcoming-ethereum-merge-could-change-cryptos-rewards-costs-and-reputation/ > Ethereum, the second-largest blockchain by market cap, is about to undergo a massive transformation known to the crypto community as “the Merge.” > It’s a long-awaited systemwide upgrade that experts say will reduce the blockchain’s energy consumption by about 99% by switching its transaction verification system away from “proof-of-work,” which relies on crypto “miners” using massive amounts of computing power to validate transactions.