10 Key Questions Newbies Should Understand About Ethereum's Merge and Fork

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The highly anticipated Ethereum Merge is now in its final countdown phase.

As of August 25th at 15:00, OKLink's "Ethereum Merge Countdown" page indicates that Ethereum is expected to complete the Merge in approximately 21 days, 5 hours, and 30 minutes. The Ethereum Foundation has also confirmed that the final merger date is projected around September 16th.

👉 Learn more about Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake

In simple terms, the Merge represents Ethereum's shift from a Proof-of-Work (POW) to a Proof-of-Stake (POS) consensus mechanism. POW relies on computational power for block production, favoring miners, while POS uses asset staking, benefiting users and developers. This transition means ETH will no longer be mined through computational power—instead, users can stake ETH to validate transactions and earn rewards, lowering participation barriers while rendering miners obsolete. In response, miners are resisting through a hard fork, creating a parallel POW-based Ethereum chain to compete with the POS version.

As the Merge approaches, here are 10 essential questions answered comprehensively to help newcomers grasp this pivotal event and potentially enhance their Web3 knowledge.

1. How Does the Merge Relate to Ethereum 2.0?

Ethereum 2.0 is the ultimate goal, with the Merge being just the first phase. Post-Merge, four additional optimization stages are required to achieve Ethereum 2.0, expected around 2025. Once completed, Ethereum's theoretical TPS (transactions per second) could reach 100,000, up from the current ~50.

2. Will Gas Fees and TPS Improve Significantly After the Merge?

While Gas fees and TPS will see moderate improvements, the core scalability issues won’t be fully resolved until sharding upgrades are implemented in later phases. The immediate benefit? A 99%+ reduction in energy consumption by eliminating physical mining hardware.

3. Why Does the Merge Lead to ETH Deflation?

Under POW, ETH is minted as block rewards, increasing supply (inflation). POS eliminates miner payouts, and with EIP-1559 burning transaction fees, ETH enters a deflationary model—boosting long-term value.

4. Why Must Validators Stake 32 ETH?

POS validators replace miners, requiring a stake to prevent spam and ensure efficient transaction validation. The number 32 (2⁔) optimizes message propagation speed in POS’s exponential design. This threshold may adjust post-Merge.

5. Will Stakers Sell Their ETH After the Merge?

Staked ETH (currently ~13.1 million ETH) cannot be withdrawn until 6–12 months post-Merge. Even then, withdrawals will be rate-limited, preventing mass sell-offs.

6. Why Has the Merge Been Delayed Repeatedly?

Coordinating a global ecosystem of users, developers, and miners—while securing billions in assets—demanded rigorous testing. Three testnet merges preceded the mainnet event, now slated for ~September 16.

7. Could Ethereum Face New Security Threats Post-Merge?

POS eliminates 51% mining attacks but introduces "wealth-based" risks: large stakers could veto proposals or push harmful changes. Governance must balance decentralization and security.

8. How Are Major Projects Responding to ETHs vs. ETHw?

Most projects favor ETHs (POS chain), including:

9. What If the Hard Fork Fails? Where Do Miners Go?

Unsupported forks may push miners to alternatives like ETC or obscure POW projects. However, mass migration could destabilize smaller chains—investors should assess risks carefully.

10. How Can Users Benefit from the Merge?

Staking ETH becomes the primary yield opportunity. Platforms like OKX offer ETH 2.0 staking with as little as 0.1 ETH, projecting 4%–20% annual returns. Users receive BETH tokens, redeemable 1:1 for ETH post-Merge.

👉 Explore ETH staking opportunities

FAQs

Q: Will my existing ETH holdings be affected by the Merge?
A: No. ETH remains the same asset; only its consensus mechanism changes.

Q: Can I unstake ETH immediately after the Merge?
A: No. Withdrawals unlock 6–12 months later, with queued processing.

Q: Is ETH mining still profitable before the Merge?
A: Marginally, but rewards will cease post-Merge. Miners should transition plans.

Q: Are "forked ETH" tokens legitimate investments?
A: Exercise caution. Only trade audited tokens on reputable platforms.

Q: How does POS improve Ethereum’s environmental impact?
A: By removing energy-intensive mining, Ethereum’s carbon footprint drops ~99%.

Final Notes

The Merge may trigger ETH price volatility. Users should:

For real-time tracking, refer to OKLink’s Ethereum Merge Countdown.