ETH is around $2,500, about $1,800 below where it sat a year ago. Your next 3 trades are 60% off with MERGE60.
ETH costs $1,800 less than a year ago. The network costs 99.95% less to run
Two numbers describe Ethereum on its Merge anniversary, and they point in opposite directions. On 15 September 2026, ETH traded around $2,500, roughly $1,800 below where it sat a year earlier. The network underneath it runs on a twentieth of one percent of the electricity it once needed.
The second number has a date on it. On 15 September 2022, Ethereum completed its move from proof of work to proof of stake in a single block, and energy consumption fell by more than 99.95% overnight. Four years ago to the day.
The size of that saving comes down to what the two systems actually spend. Under proof of work, securing the chain meant thousands of machines racing to solve the same puzzle, and every block, all but one threw their work away. The waste was the security. Proof of stake replaced it with collateral: validators lock up ETH and forfeit part of it if they cheat, so the cost of attacking the network became capital already inside the system rather than electricity bought from outside it. The race stopped. Balances were untouched and nobody had to move anything.
It is worth remembering how little of that was taken for granted at the time. The Merge had been the next thing for so long that its delays became a running joke, and the plausible outcomes on the day included another slip, a chain split, or a bug surfacing under real load. None of them happened. The roadmap has kept moving since, with the next upgrade in final testing, a Sepolia fork scheduled for 28 September 2026, and work aimed at raising the gas limit so the base layer handles more.
One of those numbers is settled and the other is an argument. The 99.95% is a measurement of something that already happened. The price is a running disagreement with no answer anyone can hand you, and whichever of the two carries more weight is a judgement you make for yourself.
The fee sits in the first category. It is the part of a trade you can know before you commit.
To mark the anniversary, MERGE60 takes 60% OFF the Paybis service fee on your next 3 trades, for 3 days, on any coin we list. ETH if the date means something to you, anything else if it doesn't. Full price is shown before you confirm, there are 90+ assets available, and support is staffed by real people at any hour.
60% OFF Paybis fees, | |
Apply your code and get 60% OFF Paybis fees on your next 3 trades, on any coin we list. Three days, three trades, whichever ones you want them to be. | |
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Valid on 3 trades, ending 17 September 2026, 23:59:59 UTC. |
This update is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile. Always conduct your own research before making any decisions.
