# How The Merge Impacts Ethereum's Application Layer

DevFeed: [How The Merge Impacts Ethereum's Application Layer](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/how-the-merge-impacts-ethereum-s-application-layer-16992.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2021/11/29/how-the-merge-impacts-app-layer>)

Author: Tim Beiko

Published: 2021-11-29T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Ethereum Foundation Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ethereum-foundation-blog.md>)

Topics: [Ethereum](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ethereum.md>), [Network](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/network.md>), [Tooling](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/tooling.md>), [Transactions](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/transactions.md>)

Tags: [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [beacon](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/beacon.md>), [consensus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/consensus.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [ethereum](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ethereum.md>), [features](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/features.md>), [merge](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/merge.md>), [proof-of-work](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/proof-of-work.md>), [research-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/research-development.md>), [tooling](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tooling.md>), [transactions](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/transactions.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains how Ethereum's transition from proof of work to proof of stake through The Merge affects end users, smart contracts, decentralized applications, and application developers. It describes the Beacon Chain as the new consensus layer, ExecutionPayloads as the post-merge equivalent of blocks, and the minor changes to block fields and transaction infrastructure.

## Source excerpt

Ethereum's transition to proof of stake -- The Merge -- is near: devnets are being stood up, specifications are being finalized and community outreach has begun in earnest. The Merge is designed to have minimal impact on how Ethereum operates for end users, smart contracts and dapps. That said, there...