- Google joins the countdown to the much-anticipated Merge on the Ethereum Network.
- The search engine giant created a “doodle” to mark the epoch moment with less than three days to “Merge”.
- Google’s recognition could increase the already anticipated success of the Merge in the coming months.
Ahead of Ethereum’s Merge, Google is keeping a close eye on developments as the industry holds its breath.
As the crypto community anticipates Ethereum’s (ETH) Merge, which will see the network’s transition to a proof-of-stake blockchain, Google has added its voice. The tech giant has created a Google doodle and a live countdown to the event, which has kept the community on its toes for many years.
A simple Google search of “Ethereum Merge” or any other variation of the event would display a live countdown to the event with less than three days to go. Coupled with the live timer is also the current hashrate of the network, which signifies the total amount of computing power used by miners on the network and the current and Merge difficulty rate.
Google makes the countdown even more colourful, displaying two happy pandas running toward each other, signifying a hug in the future (Merge). As the timer ticks on, the distance between the panda reduces. While the black panda could represent the Bellatrix upgrade on Sept 6th on the consensus layer, the white panda stands for the Paris upgrade on the execution layer, bringing it a proof-of-stake blockchain.
Google developer Padilla Sam expressed in a tweet that the timer and cartoon were a surprise to show the company’s appreciation for the work done over the years by Ethereum on the project. He added that the live timer is connected to the blockchain directly via nodes which they run, making the countdown lapse at the exact time of the Merge.
Google’s interest could create a turnaround
Gone are the days when cryptocurrencies were banned from Big Tech. As the mass adoption poured in early 2021, big tech and other investment giants began looking toward digital assets. Google’s keen interest in the Merge could even increase the project’s success rate even before it kicks off in two days.
ETH, which currently exchanges hands at $1,745 on most exchanges, could have a massive price rally due to the new consensus algorithm in the coming weeks. The good news does not only end on the Ethereum blockchain alone, as a rally for ETH could drag other coins along with it.
