Ethereum completes the Merge and switches to proof-of-stake

Ethereum Foundation/Ethereum protocol upgrades

The Ethereum Foundation scheduled the Merge in two steps: the Bellatrix upgrade on the Beacon Chain, then the switch of the proof-of-work chain to proof-of-stake once a set total difficulty was reached. It ended mining on Ethereum, and node operators had to run a consensus client and an execution client together.

• Two steps: Bellatrix (consensus layer, epoch 144896, 6 September 2022), then switch at Terminal Total Difficulty.
• Result: mining ended; Ethereum moved entirely to proof-of-stake.
• Client requirement: operators must run both consensus and execution clients with JWT authentication.
• Client options: consensus (Lighthouse, Lodestar, Nimbus, Prysm, Teku) + execution (Besu, Erigon, Geth, Nethermind).