How miners are preparing for Ethereum’s Merge and the implications on ETH price


  • Ethereum miner revenue has dropped to $498 million, an alarmingly low level, in June.
  • A decline in Ethereum price and the fear of being out of business after the Merge lead to steep decline in miner revenue.
  • The Gray Glacier upgrade delayed the difficulty bomb, giving miners another 100 days before the migration to Proof-of-Stake.

The Ethereum Merge, the much anticipated transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake, has negatively impacted miners on the altcoin’s network. Miner revenue was slashed to an alarmingly low level in June. Experts revealed that it is likely miners on the Ethereum network have operated under losses for the last two months. 

Also read: One of the most iconic American rappers is bullish on Ethereum despite recent price slump

Gray Glacier upgrade gives miners relief for another 100 days

The Ethereum network underwent a scheduled upgrade at block 15,050,000, to change the parameters of the Difficulty Bomb. The Gray Glacier upgrade went live on June 30 and pushed the Difficulty Bomb back by roughly 100 days.

Tim Beiko, a leading Ethereum developer, tweeted:

The Difficulty Bomb is a mechanism that increases the difficulty level of the puzzles in the Proof-of-Work mining algorithm that results in longer block times and less Ethereum reward for miners. The upgrade affects only the Ethereum mainnet and was not deployed on any testnet. 

EIP-5133 was introduced in the Gray Glacier upgrade to delay Ethereum’s Difficulty Bomb to mid-September 2022. 

Ethereum miner revenue plummets to alarmingly low levels

Despite the delay in the Difficulty Bomb, miners on the Ethereum network have seen a steep decline in their revenue, month-on-month. While the transition to Proof-of-Stake has been pushed back to September 2022, declining Ethereum prices and lower profitability for miners has sinked revenue to alarmingly low levels.

In the recent crypto bloodbath, Ethereum price dropped at an alarming rate. Ethereum price decline negatively impacts miner profitability. 

Ethereum: Total Miner Revenue

Ethereum: Total Miner Revenue

As profitability plummets, miners pull out of the Ethereum network and disconnect, resulting in a lower hash rate. 

Ethereum: Mean Hash Rate

Ethereum: Mean Hash Rate

Based on data from The Block Research, miners’ revenue on the Ethereum Network shrunk by 45.5% from May to June. Ethereum miners made a mere $528 million in revenue in the month of June 2022. Of this revenue, $498.8 million was from block subsidies, transaction fees from the Ethereum network was significantly lower than in May and April. 

Ethereum miners spent $15 billion on graphics cards

Bitpro Consulting disclosed that Ethereum miners have spent as much as $15 billion on gaming graphics cards for mining on the altcoin’s network. These cards cost as much as $2,000 in the retail market, and implies that miners' objective is to recoup the initial investment through mining revenue. 

As Ethereum price declined in the bear market, miners have seen a steep drop in revenues, finding it challenging to recover their operating costs. Interestingly, the shift from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake has been a looming threat to miners’ operations

Aydin Kilic, Chief Operating Officer at industrial Ethereum miner Hive, puts the odds of the Merge happening in 2022 between 1 to 10%. Regardless, there is a rise in the number of small miners pooling their resources to continue operations on the Ethereum network. Post the Merge, miners plan to shift focus to Raven, Grin, Dash, Monero and ZCoin. 

Though mining in these altcoins is not as profitable as Ethereum, it is a plan for miners to fall back on and recover their cost of operation and initial equipment. 

Ethereum Merge end of the road for miners?

Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake seems like the end of the road for miners on the altcoin’s network. However, it is important to note that the timing of the Merge is key and Ethereum miners have limited time to recoup their losses and exact operating costs out of the altcoin, before pulling the plug. 

Ethereum Merge will therefore force the $19 billion mining industry to find new cryptocurrencies to mine. It is likely that mining altcoins with small market capitalization may not be economically viable for Ethereum miners. The total market cap of GPU-mineable coins, excluding Ethereum, is less than 2% of the altcoin’s market capitalization. 

Based on a report from Messari, large-scale miners plan to pivot towards a data-center oriented business and focus on high-performance computing. Miners can pool their resources and contribute to Web3 protocols like Render Network and Livepeer. There is a concern of increased selling pressure on Ethereum as miners leave. 

Analysts believe Ethereum price could hit previous cycle ATH

Crypto trader and investor @PostyXBT believes Ethereum price could hit its previous cycle all-time high of $1,450 if the altcoin crosses bounces to $1,300 level. The analyst believes Ethereum price is likely to plummet after hitting the previous cycle high until “there is more action from the bulls.”

ETH-USD price chart

ETH-USD price chart

Three altcoins to watch this week

Analysts at FXStreet evaluated altcoin price charts and identified three key assets to watch out for gains. For more information and important price levels, checkout this video:

 


Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

BNB price enters 7-day winning streak as Binance liquidates over $5.9 billion from BTC, ETH and SOL holdings

BNB price enters 7-day winning streak as Binance liquidates over $5.9 billion from BTC, ETH and SOL holdings

Binance Coin (BNB) price surged past $650 on Wednesday, marking a 15% increase over seven consecutive days of profit. Market reports suggest that recent trades executed by Binance’s parent company could drive further BNB price gains.

More Binance News
Dogecoin stabilizes at $0.25 as PEPE, TRUMP near double-digit losses

Dogecoin stabilizes at $0.25 as PEPE, TRUMP near double-digit losses

Dogecoin (DOGE) price holds firmly above the $0.25 level on Wednesday, while on-chain data links DOGE’s resilient performance to institutional interest and long-term investors’ reluctance to sell the token amid Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) speculations.

More Dogecoin News
Trump’s tariffs shake crypto market, Bitcoin’s future uncertain

Trump’s tariffs shake crypto market, Bitcoin’s future uncertain

Donald Trump’s new tariffs have caused turbulence in the crypto market, leading to a sharp drop in total value and billions in liquidations. While uncertainty remains, some analysts believe these trade policies could create long-term opportunities for Bitcoin.

More Cryptocurrencies News
Solana Price Forecast: SOL gains ETF boost amid $3 billion unlock fears

Solana Price Forecast: SOL gains ETF boost amid $3 billion unlock fears

Solana is down 1% on Tuesday following negative sentiment surrounding its upcoming $3 billion token unlock. Meanwhile, Franklin Templeton is likely entering the race for a Solana exchange-traded fund following its filing for a Solana Trust in Delaware.

More Solana News
Bitcoin: BTC shows weakness, bears aiming for $90,000 mark

Bitcoin: BTC shows weakness, bears aiming for $90,000 mark

Bitcoin price hovers around $97,000 on Friday after losing nearly 5% in the last three days. CryptoQuant weekly report shows that activity on the Bitcoin network has declined to its lowest level in a year.

Read full analysis
The Best Brokers of the Year

The Best Brokers of the Year

SPONSORED Explore top-quality choices worldwide and locally. Compare key features like spreads, leverage, and platforms. Find the right broker for your needs, whether trading CFDs, Forex pairs like EUR/USD, or commodities like Gold.

Read More

BTC

ETH

XRP