6. From then on, the energy cost is just running client software - about 2.6 MWh per year
(https://t.co/r7UqSNXcXT)
At that point, the US gaming industry will consume ~1,300 times as much energy as @ethereum
(https://t.co/4J5I4NiFnH)
5. With the switch to "Proof of Stake", we're not just tweaking this system to make it more energy efficient.
We're completely substituting out the role of energy in the protocol, and directly using a financial cost - stake - instead.
4. In "Proof of Work" cryptocurrencies, the high energy use is a proxy for a financial cost.
If it is expensive to mine, then it is expensive to gain majority control of the network.
In PoW, that expense comes in the form of energy.
3. But @ethereum is different from things like cars, airplanes, and gaming consoles.
You can't power a car with money instead of energy.
But you *can* secure a protocol with money instead of energy.
2. People are rightfully skeptical of claims about reduced energy use.
When companies claim to be reducing emissions, the improvements are often marginal (and sometimes false).
In that context, a reduction of 99.95% sounds too good to be true - more crypto snakeoil.
1. When @ethereum switches to Proof of Stake, the energy use of the network will be reduced by about ~99.95%.
One common reaction to this:
"how can you be so sure?"