Cryptoverse: After Merge, ether heads for a $20 billion Shanghai splurge

FILE PHOTO: Souvenir tokens representing cryptocurrency networks Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and Ripple plunge into water in this illustration taken May 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - The Merge came, saw and conquered. Not that you'd guess from crypto prices.

The Ethereum blockchain's mega-upgrade finally went live on Sept. 15, moving it to a less energy-intensive "proof of stake" (PoS) system with hardly a hiccup.