Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced The Purge, the fifth in a series of proposed upgrades aimed at streamlining the complexity of the Ethereum network’s data storage and protocols.
This update is critical because Ethereum’s long-term scalability, security, and sustainability depend on a stable and manageable data architecture.
Ethereum data storage initiatives
Buterin’s Purge upgrade introduces a framework targeting Ethereum’s growing storage needs. By removing old network history, it aims to alleviate bottlenecks and reduce the hard drive space required to run nodes.
Currently, running an Ethereum node requires approximately 1.1 terabytes of disk space for the execution client alone, and several hundred gigabytes more for the consensus client. In fact, even without increasing Ethereum's gas limits, storage requirements are increasing by hundreds of gigabytes each year.
Read more: Learn more about the Ethereum network
Purge proposes a distributed approach to data storage across network nodes. Instead of each node keeping the complete network history, smaller randomized segments can be saved. This eliminates the need for all nodes to store the same information and allows the network to maintain data redundancy.
“By making it more affordable to run nodes, if we could reach a network of 100,000 nodes where each node stores a random 10% of the history, each piece of data would be replicated 10,000 times. is exactly the same as the data replication factor. It's a network of 10,000 nodes where each node stores everything,” Buterin explained.
Another important proposal is to introduce a “stateless” approach to managing Ethereum’s state data. This could potentially keep total data below 8 terabytes for decades.
To further streamline storage, Buterin also suggests considering partial or full state expiration, which could potentially phase out certain old data, in combination with address space adjustments. I am. He pointed out that transitions between data formats could be simplified as states expire, as new state trees can be introduced incrementally without complex conversions.
Protocol simplification
Beyond storage, Buterin also emphasizes the need to keep Ethereum's protocol efficient and user-friendly. Simplifying protocols can reduce bugs and make it easier for developers and users to navigate the network.
One of the options is “ossification”. This is the process of freezing the protocol and stopping new changes to increase stability. Alternatively, Ethereum could selectively phase out older features to minimize unnecessary complexity while maintaining backward compatibility.
“An intermediate route is also possible, with fewer changes to the protocol and removing at least a little complexity over time,” Buterin added.
Read more: When are Ethereum gas prices cheapest?
Meanwhile, Buterin reiterated the need for simplicity and backward compatibility. He says this provides stability for applications that require reliable long-term support.
“Ethereum's value as a chain comes from being a platform on which you can deploy applications and have confidence that it will work years from now,” he concluded.
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