Top Highlights
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User-Friendly Scaling: Vitalik Buterin proposes changes to Ethereum’s scaling plan to enhance the ease of running local nodes while still supporting Layer 1 (L1) scaling.
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Partially Stateless Nodes: Introduction of "partially stateless nodes," which require less data storage and maintain privacy, allowing users to customize saved state data.
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EIP-4444 Rollout: Advocates for the adoption of EIP-4444 to limit historical data storage, supplemented by a distributed history storage system to decentralize data storage.
- Gas Cost Adjustments: Suggests modifying gas costs to encourage efficient network use—making storage operations pricier while reducing execution costs.
Vitalik Buterin Proposes Updates to Ethereum’s Scaling Strategy
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently introduced key changes to the platform’s scaling strategy. His focus centers on making it easier for users to operate local nodes while maintaining support for Layer 1 (L1) scaling. This proposal addresses growing concerns about the challenges of running full nodes as the gas limit increases.
In a blog post on Ethresear.ch, Buterin emphasized the importance of user-operated nodes. He introduced the concept of "partially stateless nodes." These nodes check blocks without storing all historical data. Additionally, they verify the full chain using either stateless methods or ZK-EVM technology. "This type of node provides direct local access to the state users care about, while ensuring maximum privacy," he stated.
Furthermore, users can customize their data storage based on frequently accessed accounts or applications. This customization can be managed via an on-chain contract, ensuring nodes save only essential information.
In the short term, Buterin advocates for the implementation of EIP-4444. This proposal aims to limit the historical data stored by nodes to approximately 36 days, helping reduce disk space requirements. He also envisions a distributed history storage system. Under this plan, nodes would maintain fragments of older data, which would avoid dependency on centralized providers.
Another suggested change involves adjusting gas costs. By making storage more expensive and execution less costly, Buterin aims to promote efficient network usage. In the medium term, he highlighted that stateless verification could further decrease the storage needs of nodes.
Despite the advancements, Buterin addressed concerns about increasing L1 gas limits and their impact on full node operations. While validating the blockchain has been a primary purpose, he noted that local RPC servers also play a crucial role. These servers enable trustless, censorship-resistant, and privacy-friendly access to on-chain data.
Other technologies, such as ZK-EVMs and private information retrieval, present promising alternatives. However, Buterin pointed out their limitations, including high costs and privacy risks.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, Buterin’s proposals aim to balance scalability with user accessibility. This approach may enhance the user experience and further establish Ethereum’s unique value in the blockchain landscape.
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