Due to Ethereum’s transition to Proof of Stake, famously known as Ethereum Merge, the amount of energy required to perform transactions will decrease by 99.95 percent. It is anticipated that this would enable significant corporations to enter the market without worrying about sacrificing ESG compliance.

In the last week, Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), which has greatly benefited the worldwide crypto and Web3 communities. This long-planned approach, which would lower energy usage by 99.95 per cent, has been hailed as historic since energy consumption is a global issue.

The Proof-of-Work (PoW) method of token mining involves users or validators locking their holdings (stakes) on the blockchain to create a block that validates new transactions and blocks. This technique demands much more energy than Proof-of-Stake (PoS), which involves solving mathematical issues. Therefore, it is a consensus method in which validators, instead of miners, generate new blocks.

At a Moneycontrol-hosted Twitter space session on September 16, cryptocurrency industry luminaries addressed the potential effects of Ethereum Merge on the global ecosystem and the likelihood of increased adoption.

Sharan Nair, the co-founder of PYOR Edge, believes that Merge will fundamentally solve the issue of excessive energy use. In the past, users validated and processed transactions in exchange for payment as part of the Ethereum mining process. This needed a large quantity of mining equipment, or rigs, which required significant power to operate. We must now utilize a capital validator in place of these rigs to proceed.

Also read: Top 5 Ethereum Stock After Ethereum Merge

He continued by stating that this is the first step toward scalability for Web3 and crypto developers. “For Web3 to take off, it must manage many more transactions in a more cost-effective and enduring manner,” Gas prices will not instantly decrease as a result of the Merge. Still, it is anticipated that they will decrease gradually when successive phases are finished.

Ether, Ethereum’s native currency, is used to pay gas costs (ETH). It refers to the fee that must be paid for an Ethereum transaction to be executed in its entirety.

The upcoming introduction of other Ethereum upgrades, including Surge, Verge, Purge, and Splurge, is expected. These enhancements will be anticipated to include new capabilities that render Ethereum more scalable and sustainable. Even though the project is expected to be finished by 2026, the experts predict that the ecological effects of these modifications will not be apparent until much later. Experts have also praised that it will increase the likelihood of companies investing in the business, resulting in broader use of the technology.

As a result, corporations’ attitudes towards cryptocurrencies will shift. When companies included Bitcoin on their balance sheets, they could not maintain ESG compliance, which refers to environmental, social, and corporate governance. This was a significant reason why so few businesses adopted Bitcoin. “However, Ethereum is now a viable alternative,” said the creator of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitbns, Gaurav Dahake.

In addition, Vikram Subburaj of Giottus claimed that Ethereum needs to demonstrate more that it is achieving its stated objectives. At the same time, Bitcoin is now seen as a far more reliable currency. From the viewpoint of a typical investor, it would not be difficult, but from the perspective of a cryptophile, it would be difficult.

However, he feels Merge has rekindled people’s interest in the cryptocurrency industry, which had waned due to factors like the bear market, layoffs, and bankruptcies.

Alterations to the pricing of Ether

Throughout the weekend, the price of Ethereum, the second-most costly cryptocurrency, topped $1,400.

According to the experts, the decrease of Ether in the fresh supply will have a long-term favourable effect. Although there was no immediate effect on pricing or trade, this is likely because a large portion of the optimistic sentiment has already been included in the price.

Also read: Decentralization And Privacy After The Big Ethereum Merge

Moreover, many believe that the Merge has increased Ethereum’s credibility. Ethereum was an open-source project in which developers from all across the globe participated remotely. This may create an even more significant entrance hurdle for rivals such as Solana and Tron.

Despite the presence of other chains and the building of new chains, according to Dahake, Ethereum would control 90 per cent of the blockchain ecosystem in terms of development activity, real total value locked, and transaction throughput.

On the other hand, this is a success for Ethereum, and it comes at a crucial moment for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. According to Subburaj, “the following few years will likewise be crucial for the ecosystem.”

Increasing Concerns Regarding Ethereum

Due to the validators, there is a fear that the Merge will grow more centralized, negating the aim of decentralization.

“However, as more individuals commit to Ether and join it, it will be simpler to return to decentralized scale,” Dahake said. This would be the circumstance with the equipment, etc.

According to Sathvik Vishwanath, co-founder and chief executive officer of cryptocurrency exchange Unocoin, retail investors do not need to be worried about the emergence of new Ether. This is because the issues around the new Ether validators have not yet been identified.

According to subject matter specialists, in recent months, many people drew previously disproven parallels between the financial markets and cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, as cryptocurrencies experience more changes, the market will perceive fewer connections. However, industry sources are adamant that things will not begin to improve unless proof-of-stake operating norms are adhered to. This pertains to both cryptography and Web3.