Originally published on: October 24, 2024
Ethereum is gearing up for a significant upgrade known as “The Verge,” which is poised to revolutionize the network by making it more secure and accessible. Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, shared that this upgrade will allow nodes to run on devices as small as smartphones or smartwatches.
The Verge is set to tackle one of Ethereum’s major challenges: the increasing data size required to operate a node. Currently, running a node necessitates storing vast amounts of state data, an obstacle that The Verge aims to overcome through stateless verification. This innovative approach will enable nodes to verify blockchain blocks without the need to store extensive data, thus streamlining the process.
Buterin envisions a future where every mobile wallet, browser wallet, and even smartwatch will be capable of fully verifying the chain, thanks to stateless verification. This transformation would eliminate the need for Ethereum nodes to store the entire blockchain, thereby lowering technical barriers for users, including solo stakers.
In his detailed blog post, Buterin highlighted The Verge’s focus on implementing Verkle trees, a cryptographic structure designed to reduce proof sizes and facilitate stateless validation. Despite concerns about Verkle trees’ vulnerability to quantum computing, developers are exploring STARK-based binary hash trees as a more secure and scalable alternative.
As part of this upgrade, proposed changes to Ethereum’s gas cost system under Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)-4762 are being introduced to support stateless verification. These modifications will refine gas fees for resource-intensive cryptographic operations, ensuring network scalability and security while introducing “multidimensional gas” for improved resource management.
By enabling node operation on smaller devices with these advancements, Buterin aims to make solo staking more feasible and accessible to a broader audience. The introduction of The Verge marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and inclusivity of the Ethereum network.
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