The Ethereum Merge is a long-awaited transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake. This change has been in the works for years. Vitalik Buterin has published articles on the topic of Proof-of-Stake back in 2014 and 2020. This is because the two systems work together to offer financial incentives and a greener method of validating transactions.
The Merge will bring the Ethereum Mainnet and the Ethereum Beacon Chain together, creating one Ethereum PoS chain. This will reduce the amount of power used for each transaction, making the network more environmentally friendly. Currently, each transaction on the Ethereum network requires the energy equivalent of an average U.S. household. In addition, the Merge will create a more secure and resource-efficient network. It will also be more sustainable than it is today, as a single transaction on the Ethereum network uses as much electricity as the average U.S. household uses for an entire day.