The Merge is joining #ETH's new Beacon Chain proof-of-stake consensus layer with its current execution layer, the Mainnet we use.
Instead of employing energy-intensive mining, it uses staked #ETH to secure the network.
This is an exciting step toward reaching greater scalability, security, and sustainability, which are Ethereum's central vision.
The proof-of-work has secured the Ethereum #blockchain since the genesis block in July 2015.