The Cambridge Centre for Various Finance has estimated Ethereum’s annual electrical energy consumption at 7.87 gigawatt-hours. That equals a steady energy demand of about 0.90 megawatts. The research locations Ethereum close to the decrease finish of vitality depth amongst main proof-of-stake blockchains when researchers alter electrical energy use for market worth. Cambridge additionally estimated annual emissions of about 2.37 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equal.
Abstract
- Ethereum ranks second-lowest in market-value-adjusted vitality depth among the many main proof-of-stake networks Cambridge studied globally.
- Cambridge measured 8,522 nodes and calculated electrical energy demand of roughly 105 watts per node.
- The Merge lower Ethereum’s energy demand by over 99.9%, leaving grid sources to drive emissions.
Ethereum used extra electrical energy in absolute phrases than most networks included within the comparability. Solana ranked highest at about 13.48 GWh annually, whereas Ethereum ranked second. Nonetheless, Ethereum consumed about 33 kilowatt-hours for each $1 million of market worth. That was the second-lowest fee measured, behind BNB Chain. Solana recorded about 283 kWh per $1 million, or roughly 8.5 occasions Ethereum’s fee. The networks in Cambridge’s top-tier PoS comparability used 38 GWh mixed. NEAR, Tron and TON ranged from 3.6 to five.1 GWh, whereas Cardano and BNB Chain stayed beneath 1 GWh.
Direct node exams form the estimate
Cambridge constructed the estimate from direct energy measurements fairly than making use of one assumed determine to each node. Researchers examined 20 combos of Ethereum’s primary execution and consensus software program shoppers on two {hardware} setups. A lighter residential system drew a median of 18 watts. A workstation used for skilled deployments drew about 152 watts. The research calculated a network-weighted common of roughly 105 watts per node.
The researchers recognized 8,522 discoverable full nodes. Round 36% operated on residential {hardware}, whereas 64% ran in cloud or enterprise knowledge facilities. America hosted 31% of the nodes, adopted by Germany at 16%, Finland at 8%, and France at 6%. Cambridge stated these 4 international locations collectively accounted for almost 62% of the full-node community measured.
Grid combine now drives Ethereum’s emissions
Ethereum’s electrical energy sources now form most of its remaining carbon footprint. Cambridge estimated that renewable vitality equipped 39.4% of the community’s energy and nuclear vitality equipped 17%. Collectively, these sources accounted for 56.4%. Fossil fuels equipped the remaining 43.6%, with pure fuel representing the most important single supply at 27.7%. The ultimate emissions estimate trusted the electrical energy grids serving every node location.
Alexander Neumüller, analysis lead at Cambridge’s digital belongings vitality program, stated, “Beneath Proof-of-Stake, electrical energy is now not the value of safety.” Ethereum changed proof-of-work mining with validators throughout the Merge on September 15, 2022. Cambridge estimated that steady energy demand fell from about 2.4 gigawatts earlier than the transition to 0.90 megawatts afterward, a discount of greater than 99.9%.
Crypto.information protection tracks the PoS shift
Associated crypto.information protection has described proof-of-stake as a lower-energy different as a result of validators safe networks by staked belongings as an alternative of aggressive mining. A January 2026 report additionally quoted Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse saying proof-of-stake methods use about 99.9% much less vitality than proof-of-work networks. The brand new Cambridge figures present up to date {hardware} and internet hosting knowledge for Ethereum a number of years after its transition.
The report doesn’t declare that Ethereum makes use of the least electrical energy amongst all proof-of-stake networks. Its annual complete stays increased than most friends studied. Its stronger rating seems solely after researchers divide vitality use by market worth. Cambridge additionally averted a per-transaction estimate as a result of about 92% of Ethereum ecosystem transactions now choose scaling networks, making a mainnet-only calculation incomplete. Cambridge stated lighter stateless verification might decrease {hardware} necessities, however wider node participation might offset these financial savings. The report treats future demand as unsure fairly than assuming effectivity positive aspects will scale back complete use.