Blockchain technology has been undergoing a revolutionary development. The surge in users and transactions has led to an increase in the data required to validate transactions, impacting both Bitcoin with its focus on unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) and Ethereum with its inclusion of smart contract coding. But the pertinent issue is if the surging size of these blockchain states can be sustained, and where precisely does the theory of ‘stateless blockchains’ fit?
Researchers Miranda Christ and Joseph Bonneau have delved into this fractured landscape with rigorous research, suggesting that the Bitcoin nodes are presently storing data around 14 times less than that of Ethereum. As transaction throughput continues to grow, the state storage requirement for these cryptos does too, raising concerns of decentralization’s potential devaluation as storage demands make it increasingly difficult for the average user to become validators.
A proposition that has emerged is the ‘stateless blockchain’ where storage limitations are not dictated by the transaction volume. This idea could potentially enable anyone to run a node via their mobile devices, contributing to decentralization while bolstering security. However, practical implementation remains a lofty notion.
The user involvement in a stateless blockchain necessitates the storage of ‘witnesses’ which help validate the transactions, but these change frequently unlike private keys, increasing user stress and impeding user-friendliness. Further complicating the matter, the balance between a concise global state and the frequency of witness updates becomes inevitable. The researchers, employing principles established by Claude Shannon, demonstrate that a truly stateless blockchain where users never need to update their witness doesn’t seem attainable.
Notably, the avenue for an alternative appears likely. One such model suggests involving a third entity, distinct from the user or validator, titled a ‘proof-serving node,’ responsible for storing the complete state and generating the required witnesses allowing users to transact potentially in a way similar to stateless blockchains. However, the incentives and compensation models for these nodes remain under continued exploration.
Implications flow into Layer 2 solutions like rollup servers. A widely held belief is that rollup servers could be the practical implementation of stateless blockchains, yet problems persist with an argument that large amounts of L2 state data will have to move to Layer 1.
The researchers’ findings have helped comprehend the complexities of the blockchain world and the challenges lying ahead. A clear message from their study is that while the idea of a pure stateless blockchain may yet be an unattainable dream, the quest for balance between efficiency and user convenience continues unabated.
Source: Cryptonews
