
A major software upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain aimed at drastically reducing its energy usage has been completed, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum inventor and co-founder said on Thursday.
The upgrade, known as the “Merge”, essentially eliminates the grossly wasteful practice of “mining” crypto tokens. The new system will use 99.95% less energy, according to the Ethereum Foundation. To its proponents, the upgrade represents a major advantage as Ethereum seeks to surpass rival bitcoin.