This is an OKX — Okcoin research partnership. Adam Bloom is a Content Writer, podcaster, and yield farmer based in Los Angeles.
Now that Ethereum has completed the Merge, it’s time to explore the next phase of upgrades: the Surge, Verge, Purge, and Splurge. These updates aim to enhance Ethereum’s scalability, efficiency, and decentralization.
TL;DR
- Ethereum’s Merge transitioned the network from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS), reducing energy consumption by 99%.
- Post-Merge upgrades will focus on lowering costs, increasing speed, and improving decentralization.
- The Ethereum Foundation predicts 100k transactions per second (TPS) upon full implementation.
The Merge Recap
Ethereum’s shift to PoS in 2025 marked a milestone seven years in the making. Key outcomes include:
- Energy efficiency: PoS slashes energy use by over 99%.
- Reduced ETH issuance: New ETH issuance could drop by 90%, akin to Bitcoin’s "triple halving."
- Gas fee burning: EIP-1559 permanently removes ETH used for gas fees, further reducing supply.
Vitalik’s Ethereum Roadmap
Ethereum’s next upgrades will roll out in parallel. Here’s the breakdown:
1. The Surge: Scaling with Shards
- Goal: Move transactions off the mainnet to Layer 2 shards.
Impact:
- 64 shards will process transactions, boosting throughput to 100k TPS.
- Gas fees on Layer 2 could drop by 90%, enabling microtransactions for social media and gaming.
👉 Learn how Layer 2 solutions like Polygon and Avalanche are transforming Ethereum.
2. The Verge: Stateless Clients
- Key Change: Transition from Merkle trees to Verkle trees.
Benefits:
- Validators require less data, enabling stateless clients.
- Lowers hardware requirements, promoting decentralization.
3. The Purge: Reducing Historical Data
- EIP-4444: Eliminates the need for nodes to store the entire Ethereum ledger (~1020 GB).
- Outcome: Validators can operate on smartphones, further decentralizing the network.
4. The Splurge: Miscellaneous Upgrades
A catch-all for improvements aligning with Ethereum’s core goals: speed, cost-efficiency, and scalability.
FAQs
Q: How does the Merge affect ETH supply?
A: PoS reduces new ETH issuance by ~90%, and EIP-1559 burns gas fees, creating deflationary pressure.
Q: What’s the timeline for these upgrades?
A: Developers are working in parallel, but no fixed deadlines exist. The Surge is likely next.
Q: Will Ethereum ever match Solana’s speed?
A: Post-Surge, Ethereum aims for 100k TPS, surpassing Solana’s current capacity without its centralization tradeoffs.
👉 Discover how to stake ETH and earn rewards post-Merge.
Conclusion
Ethereum’s post-Merge upgrades promise a faster, cheaper, and more decentralized network. While challenges remain, these innovations could solidify Ethereum as Web3’s backbone.
Keywords: Ethereum Merge, Layer 2 scaling, PoS, ETH issuance, Verkle trees, stateless clients, EIP-4444.
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### SEO & Content Notes:
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