The Ethereum Merge took place on September 15th, 2022.
What happens after the Merge?
What happens after the Merge?
After the Merge, the confirmation requirements on Ethereum will change from 35 to 96, meaning that the time it’ll take for transactions to be confirmed will increase from around 8min to around 19min. This change in required confirmations is due to the fact that one PoS confirmation has an entirely different meaning than one PoW confirmation. The 96 confirmation requirement post-Merge was chosen by the Ethereum community based on the Ethereum Beacon chain's finality parameters, which you can read more about here.
What did I need to do in anticipation of the Merge?
What did I need to do in anticipation of the Merge?
Nothing! Sit tight, relax, and bring some popcorn. The only thing to prepare for was that the Avalanche Bridge™, like various other projects that were preparing for the Merge, was temporarily unavailable as a precautionary security measure while the Merge occurred. The Merge occurred on September 15th, 2022.
What was the Merge?
What was the Merge?
The Merge was Ethereum’s migration from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS). You can read more about the Merge here.
Did I need to “unbridge” and “re-bridge” over my Ethereum assets before the Merge?
Did I need to “unbridge” and “re-bridge” over my Ethereum assets before the Merge?
No. Your assets bridged from Ethereum to Avalanche remained as bridged. You didn’t need to do anything in anticipation of the Merge.
What if I have bridged assets locked in a DeFi dApp, did I need to do anything?
What if I have bridged assets locked in a DeFi dApp, did I need to do anything?
No. Your bridged assets with the “.e” designation remained as is. You didn’t need to do anything.
How did the Merge impact my WETH.e? Did users need to do anything with their existing assets or prepare for the shift over to PoS?
How did the Merge impact my WETH.e? Did users need to do anything with their existing assets or prepare for the shift over to PoS?
No. The WETH.e is still in your wallet, precisely as you left them. Now that the Merge is complete and the Bridge is available, you can bridge it back to the Ethereum Network.
Did the Avalanche Bridge pause during the merge?
Did the Avalanche Bridge pause during the merge?
Yes, the Avalanche Bridge Web UI was temporarily unavailable during the Merge, which occurred on September 15, 2022. This included the bridge functionality in the Core extension.
The Bridge UI (core.app/bridge) was inaccessible until the Ethereum network post-merge activation was considered sufficiently stable. It was for a minimal amount of time and was contingent upon a smooth migration on the Ethereum side. Ethereum bridging within Core was also inaccessible during the Merge and remained so until the finality of Ethereum stabilized.
However, Bitcoin bridging remained fully functional within the Core extension.
What if I used the Bridge during the Merge?
What if I used the Bridge during the Merge?
The Bridge UI and bridge function in the Core extension were down during the Merge. As previously stated, the Bridge does not support scripting or any use that is not through the Bridge UI (core.app/bridge).
For a more in-depth read on how the Avalanche Bridge works, please read the following articles.
Provided for informational purposes only, without representation, warranty, or guarantee of any kind. The Merge is a first-of-its-kind event for the Ethereum blockchain and community. Neither Ava Labs, Inc. nor the Avalanche Foundation nor their respective affiliates have any involvement in the Merge.
For any additional questions, please view our other knowledge base articles or contact a support team member via the chat button. Examples are for illustrative purposes only.