--- title: "Furious Crypto Miners Making Their Own Ethereum Where They Can Still Destroy the Environment After the Merge" description: "EthereumPoW Wake up, it's Ethereum Merge day! This is a major step for the industry, and a much anticipated one at that. There is one group, however, that isn't too thrilled about the change. According to Fortune, a group of cryptocurrency miners — many of whom stand to lose their main stream of income due […]" date: "2022-09-15" modified: "2022-09-15" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/crypto-miners-making-their-own-ethereum-merge" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Ethereum" - "Future Society" tags: - "blockchain" - "crypto mining" - "ethereum" - "the digest" --- # Furious Crypto Miners Making Their Own Ethereum Where They Can Still Destroy the Environment After the Merge ![A group of cryptocurrency miners — many of whom stand to lose their main stream of income due to the Ethereum Merge, have made their own Ethereum token.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## EthereumPoW The Etherum Merge hath befallen! Basically, what's arguably the world's most influential crypto project decided to ditch the environmentally harmful proof-of-work model for a greener proof-of-stake system. It's a much-anticipated experiment — but one group [isn't too thrilled about the change](). According [to *Fortune*](), a group of cryptocurrency miners — many of whom stand to lose their main stream of income due to the switch — have joined forces to make sure that some things stay exactly the same, no matter the [steep environmental cost](). Per [their Twitter account](), this cohort is forking the Ethereum blockchain, creating their own version dubbed EthereumPoW (ETHW) where they can keep mining like old times. "ETHW mainnet will happen within 24 hours after the Merge," [they wrote in a Tuesday morning Twitter thread](). "The exact time will be announced one hour before launch with a countdown timer and everything including final code, binaries, config files, nodes info, RPC, explorer, etc." As of this morning, it looks like this threat is increasingly real. Earlier today, the cohort [released a bevy of server information]() and directives, pointing potential users to their controversial new token. ## Earth Crisis Ethereum argues that the merge will make the operation more secure, scalable, and most importantly sustainable — [according to its website](), it will lower the [horrific environmental toll]() of energy-intensive Ethereum mining by roughly 99.95 percent. All good changes, right? Sure. To anyone who isn't a miner, apparently. Per *Fortune*, the ETHW token's value went up a sizable 58 percent in the 24 hours following the anti-merge mining cohort's Twitter announcement, before settling back down again. Environmental degradation: it sells! Losing any stream of income, be that your main role or a side hustle, is definitely scary. That being said, mining operations are [absolutely unsustainable](), and [Earth doesn't have much wiggle room]() for [unnecessary emissions](). If there's a better way, the cryptosphere has to take it. ETHW, by all accounts, isn't that way. **READ MORE:** *[Miners say they plan to fork Ethereum within 24 hours of 'merge']()* \[*Fortune*\] **More on :** *[Crypto Miners Terrified by Ethereum's Imminent Move to Proof of Stake]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()