Ethereum staking and mining are two ways to validate transactions on the Ethereum blockchain and secure its network. Mining: In the traditional proof-of-work (PoW) mining model, miners compete to solve complex mathematical puzzles and add new blocks to the blockchain. This process required substantial computational power and energy consumption. Miners were rewarded with newly minted Ethereum and transaction fees for their efforts. Staking: On the other hand, Ethereum 2.0 introduced a new consensus mechanism called proof-of-stake (PoS). Instead of miners, validators participate in the network by locking up a certain amount of Ethereum as a stake. Validators are randomly selected to create new blocks and validate transactions based on their staked amount. In PoS, the chances of being chosen to create a block are proportional to the validator's stake. This encourages users to hold and stake more Ethereum. Validators earn rewards in the form of additional Ethereum for their validation and securing of the network. Compared to mining, Ethereum staking consumes significantly less energy since it doesn't rely on powerful computing hardware. Thus making it a more easily accessible and environmentally friendly alternative to mining. Staking also allows users to earn rewards by simply holding and staking Ethereum.