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After the Merge
After the merge, the Ethereum blockchain will prioritize adding new features through separate upgrades, post-merge cleanups, and sharding. Some of the planned features include features such as allowing stakers to withdraw staked ETH. A post-merge 'cleanup' upgrade handles these features and is expected to happen shortly after the merge is complete.
Finally, the sharding process will be used to further scale Ethereum. Currently, Ethereum can only process about 15 transactions per second. With sharding, Ethereum will have the ability to scale thousands of transactions by splitting the blockchain into 'shards' (independent chains).
Sharding is a common Web2 strategy for scaling databases. However, with Ethereum, this will lower the barrier of entry for validators to store and run data, and is much more convenient than running the entire blockchain. Running an Ethereum node from a laptop or mobile device will soon be possible thanks to sharded chains.
Risk of the Merge
If the merge fails, it could have a ripple effect affecting other blockchains and ecosystems that rely on Ethereum. The Ethereum merger holds great promise, but it also creates risks for all Ethereum network participants. Mergers play a major role in changing the current protocols that manage hundreds of billions of dollars in assets. As we all know, the merger has been delayed many times.
Ethereum serves as the base layer for thousands of decentralized applications (dApps). A failed merger could affect many dApps, from altcoins like Basic Attention Token (BAT) to Metaverse tokens like Layer2 like Polygon (MATIC) and Sandbox. Additionally, NFTs, DAOs and other cryptographic technologies may be affected.
Ethereum currently has 4 unique clients implementing proof-of-stake Ethereum nodes if the merger fails to meet expectations. This means that proof-of-stake node operators can switch to a different client if they encounter problems.
