What Is Proof of Stake and Why Ethereum Switched

Proof of Stake replaces energy-intensive mining with a system where validators secure the network by staking their ETH. Instead of competing with hardware, validators are chosen based on their stake and behavior.

This change drastically reduced Ethereum’s energy consumption and improved its scalability roadmap. It also aligned incentives by punishing malicious behavior through slashing.

The switch showed that large blockchains can evolve without sacrificing decentralization. It was a technical and philosophical milestone for the crypto industry.