Cloud computing has evolved into a foundational technology underpinning contemporary digital infrastructure, providing scalable, on-demand, and cost-effective computing services. Nevertheless, with the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, real-time applications, and data-intensive systems, traditional cloud computing faces significant challenges, including elevated latency, bandwidth constraints, and prolonged response times. Centralized cloud architectures often fail to satisfy the stringent requirements of latency-sensitive workloads. Edge computing has emerged as a complementary paradigm by processing data in proximity to its source, thereby minimizing communication delays and enhancing overall system performance. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on edge computing and its transformative impact on the future of cloud computing. It explores prevailing industry viewpoints, novel architectural frameworks, and recent technological advances in edge–cloud integration. The study evaluates how hybrid edge–cloud architectures improve performance, scalability, and resource utilization. It further examines critical challenges, such as security vulnerabilities, interoperability issues, and dynamic resource management. Based on this analysis, it becomes evident that edge computing will play a pivotal role in shaping next-generation distributed computing systems by enabling faster, more intelligent, and highly efficient data processing.