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Ethereum no longer pays miners a fixed block subsidy. Since The Merge, its current block reward means variable proof-of-stake compensation paid to validators for protocol duties. That compensation is distinct from transaction tips and other income a block proposer may receive.
What does “Ethereum block reward” mean now?
The phrase has two meanings. Historically, it referred to the ETH subsidy paid to proof-of-work miners for producing blocks. Today, people often use it more broadly for proof-of-stake rewards paid to validators. The modern term is not a precise fixed amount paid for each block: rewards cover validator duties, and some are accounted for around epoch checkpoints.
Validators perform duties such as attesting to blocks, while a validator selected as proposer for a slot assembles and proposes a block. Rewards depend on protocol rules and the validator’s performance. See Ethereum’s explanation of proof-of-stake rewards and penalties and its guide to block proposal.
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No. The often-quoted 2 ETH reward was a historical proof-of-work mining subsidy: ethereum.org identifies it as the reward after the Constantinople upgrade in 2019. It is not the current reward per Ethereum block. Since The Merge, proof-of-work issuance on the execution layer is zero; proof-of-stake issuance to validators continues. Ethereum’s account of The Merge’s effect on ETH supply explains the change.
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What determines a validator’s consensus reward?
Ethereum calculates a base reward using a validator’s effective balance and the total active balance, along with protocol parameters. In simplified terms, a greater effective balance increases the base reward, while the square root of total active balance is part of the denominator. The official rewards page documents a base reward factor of 64 and four base rewards per epoch.
Consequently, there is no universal fixed ETH payout per block or guaranteed APR implied by the phrase “block reward.” Individual results also depend on carrying out duties as required: missed duties can mean a missed reward or a penalty. Reward rates vary with the amount of ETH staked; the Ethereum Launchpad validator FAQs discuss reward variability and issuance timing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How are issuance, tips, and MEV different?
Not all ETH a proposer receives is a protocol reward or newly created ETH. Consensus-layer issuance creates new ETH for validator duties. Transaction priority fees and MEV-related income are transfers of existing ETH associated with transactions or block construction. Ethereum’s technical introduction to ether distinguishes issuance from tips and MEV.
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| Value associated with a block | Where it comes from | What happens to it |
|---|---|---|
| Consensus-layer reward | Protocol issuance for validator duties | New ETH is issued to validators under proof of stake. |
| Priority fee (tip) | A transaction fee paid by the sender | The base fee is burned; the priority fee goes to the block producer under EIP-1559. Ethereum’s block documentation describes the fee-recipient account. |
| MEV-related income | Value associated with transaction ordering or block construction | It is transferred value, not newly issued ETH. |
| Former mining subsidy | Proof-of-work block production before The Merge | The historical 2 ETH figure describes the post-Constantinople subsidy, not a current payment. |
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