Ethereum has undergone significant change over time, especially Merge.The upgrade replaced the energy-intensive Proof-of-Work (PoW) system with Proof-of-Stake (PoS).
With this change, Ethereum now operates approximately 8,522 physical nodes, most of which host multiple validators and approximately 894,000 validators.
As a result, Ethereum now consumes only 7.87 GWh of electricity per year, or approximately 0.90 MW of continuous power. This is less than half of the British Museum’s annual electricity consumption.
Before the merger, the network required approximately 2.4 GW of continuous power.
Since then, Ethereum’s electricity consumption has fallen by more than 99.9%, making it one of the largest energy reductions by a major blockchain.
Is Ethereum truly decentralized?
Also Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF) report He emphasized that although Ethereum’s infrastructure is geographically concentrated, it has a decentralized structure. Approximately 62% of all nodes are hosted by the United States (31%), Germany (16%), Finland (8%) and France (6%).
Another important discovery is that 56.4% of the electricity used in electricity generation is Ethereum 17% comes from sustainable sources such as nuclear energy and 39.4% renewable energy.
Considering the electricity mix of major host countries, natural gas remains the largest source of fossil fuels at 27.7%. The fact that Ethereum’s sustainable energy share is generally higher than the global average of around 43% shows how committed the network is to cleaner power grids.
What does Ethereum’s carbon footprint mean for the network?
At the same time, Ethereum’s carbon footprint has decreased significantly in line with the dramatic drop in electricity consumption. According to the report, the network has reduced its emissions by 99.98% since the last Proof of Work period, to an estimated 2.37 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent (ktCO₂e) per year.
To put this into perspective, Ethereum’s annual emissions are equivalent to the carbon footprint of around 900 UK households.
Interestingly, future developments such as stateless verification could further reduce energy and hardware needs, reducing Ethereum’s carbon footprint while maintaining its decentralization and security.
What lies ahead?
This also coincides with the development of Ethereum entering a new phase, as the researchers explain “Bare Ethereum“It is a multi-year overhaul aimed at the long-term development of the network. The plan aims to replace the cores of the Ethereum protocol over a period of approximately three to four years, rather than in a single upgrade.
While these developments were taking place, the price of Ethereum increased by 1.42% the previous day and was traded at $ 1,798.71 at the time of writing the news. MACD and RSI indicators also showed that the bulls were more aggressive than before. However, for the bulls to continue, ETH must surpass the $1.8 thousand mark.
Final Summary
- Ethereum has roughly 62% of all nodes hosted by the United States, followed by Germany, Finland, and France.
- The network reduced its emissions to an estimated 2.37 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent (ktCO₂e) per year.
