ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out new plans to improve the blockchain's proof-of-stake (PoS) system through a new update called “The Verge.”
in a eth.limo/general/2024/10/23/futures4.html”>blog post Posted on October 23, Buterin explained that while it is technically possible to run an ethereum node on a standard laptop, the data requirements of the current system make it impractical for many users.
Operating a node requires hundreds of gigabytes of data to verify blocks, and this data grows by around 30 GB each year. These high storage needs restrict the number of users who can run full verification nodes on ethereum.
Buterin's proposed Verge update addresses this challenge by introducing “stateless client verification,” which allows devices to validate blockchain data without storing the entire data set locally.
He explained:
“The Verge is trying to change this, and make full chain verification so computationally affordable that all mobile wallets, browser wallets, and even smartwatches do it by default..”
The edge
Initially, “The Verge” focused on adopting Verkle trees, a data structure that facilitates more compact proofs and enables stateless verification of ethereum blocks.
However, the scope has since expanded. The update now aims to make ethereum verification more resource-efficient by combining stateless validation techniques and advanced cryptographic proofs such as SNARK (Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge).
SNARKs allow a party to prove that they possess certain information without revealing the details, allowing complex transactions to be verified quickly on-chain. Buterin believes this technology could allow the ethereum blockchain to be verified on small devices like smartwatches, expanding the potential for widespread participation in the network.
Stateless verification, in particular, eliminates the need for nodes to store all blockchain data. Instead, each block would include a “witness” that would contain the essential data and cryptographic proofs needed to validate the block.
This shift towards stateless clients is crucial as it reduces storage demands and speeds up blockchain performance. This would improve the overall user experience while lowering the barriers to running ethereum nodes, making solo staking much more accessible.
To implement these changes, Buterin proposes replacing ethereum's current state structure, known as the Merkle Patricia tree, with Verkle trees or STARKed binary hash trees. While STARKs serve a similar function to SNARKs, they offer additional benefits in terms of scalability and security, helping ethereum overcome some of the limitations of its existing test systems.
