The Ethereum merge is set to go live in a few days. The tech behemoth Google has added a new countdown timer to mark the remaining time until the up-and-coming Ethereum Merge as a show of support.
A countdown ticker with the expected time left until the merge based on the current difficulty, merge difficulty, and hash rate is displayed when you type any variation of “Ethereum Merge” or “The Merge” into the search engine.
A cartoon of two joyful pandas running toward one another with outstretched hands is displayed off to the side; it is implied that they will get closer as the merge date approaches.
Google’s support for Ethereum for years of work
In a tweet on September 9, Google Cloud developer Sam Padilla said the timer was “a fun little surprise” and a manner to acknowledge “the work which has been going into this for years.”
Although he acknowledged that the work was completed by the Google search and labs team, he claimed to have put up the idea and subsequent discussion that resulted in the timer’s implementation.
The countdown is updated in real-time thanks to a direct connection between the timer and the blockchain, as Padilla explained in the same post.
Additionally, he made a joking statement that pandas are getting closer as the Merge date draws near, saying: “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Google established a Web3 team under Google Cloud on May 6, signaling the company’s growing interest in the cryptocurrency sector.
But others besides Google developers are paying close attention to the Merge. According to recent Google search data, searches for the term “Ethereum Merge” produced a score above 50 on multiple occasions over the past 30 days, peaking at 100 on September 3.
A score of 100 indicates the term is at its “peak popularity,” while a score of 50 indicates the term is “half as popular.” A score of 0 indicates that the day’s data was insufficient.