# ETH 2 Merge Lexicon

By [Probably Degens](https://paragraph.com/@avitzthum) · 2022-09-10

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A list of terms referenced in our YouTube video about the Ethereum Merge.

*   **Proof of Work/PoW** - Network is secured by Miners who have to purchase & run mining hardware. They consume electricity in exchange for block issue runs for a portion of transaction fees
    
*   **Proof of Stake/PoS** - Network is run by Validators who STAKE ETH to validate the model. The validators don’t consume a lot of electricity.
    
*   **Validator** - A virtual entity that lives on the Beacon Chain and participates in the consensus of the Ethereum protocol. Validators are represented by a balance, public key, and other properties. 1 Validator = 32 ETH Staked
    
*   **Miner** - The person running mining hardware for Proof of Work
    
*   **Validator Client** - The software that acts on behalf of the validator by holding and using its private key. A single validator client can hold many key pairs, controlling many validators.
    
*   **Sharding** - The process of splitting a database horizontally to spread the load. In an Ethereum context, sharding will reduce network congestion and increase transactions per second by creating new chains, known as “shards”.
    
*   **Testnet** - Testing environment of. blockchain powered by same underlying software as Mainnet but used for experimentation & testing so as not to negatively impact actual computation & transactions
    
*   **Mainnet** - Blockchain protocol that is fully developed & deployed. Transactions are broadcast, verified & recorded on a distributed ledger.
    
*   **dApp** - Decentralized application that exists on top of a blockchain. An example would be OpenSea
    
*   **Protocol** - A set of rules for formatting data

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*Originally published on [Probably Degens](https://paragraph.com/@avitzthum/eth-2-merge-lexicon)*