Key takeaways:
- Google has integrated a feature that is counting down the hours until the Ethereum Merge
- The handy feature can be accessed by searching for Merge-related keywords through the Google search engine
- The Merge will likely take place later this week – more precisely, on September 15 at around 11:30 AM (UTC)
Google joins the Ethereum Merge hype
US internet giant Google has rolled out a feature that lets users track the hours and minutes from the Merge, a highly anticipated crypto update that will see Ethereum transition from using Proof-of-Work (PoW) to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism.
To try out the new feature, simply use Google to search for “merge”, “ethereum merge”, and similar keywords. You should be greeted with the following panel at the top of Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
The countdown currently predicts that the Ethereum Merge will occur on Thursday, September 15 at 11:30 AM UTC. It is worth noting, however, that the actual date could end up being different, due to the constantly changing Terminal Total Difficulty, which acts as a trigger for the Merge.
For reference, both Ethereum developer Tim Beiko and Ethereum co-founder Vital Buterin have recently revealed that the Merge will most likely take place on September 15.
Regular Ethereum users and holders have nothing to worry about the upcoming PoS update, as both the ETH token and regular network operations won’t be impacted in any meaningful way.
The update will change the consensus mechanism that the Ethereum blockchain uses to reach a consensus about the state of the ledger. Also, Ethereum miners will be substituted with validators, who will be responsible for transaction validation and new block production starting with the Merge.
For more information about the Merge, please check our list of top 5 Ethereum Merge myths, or take a look at our latest article from the Coins to Watch series.
The price of Ethereum’s native token improved by more than 12% in the past seven days, hitting a three-week high of $1,807 on Sunday.
