Vitalik Buterin proposes stateless nodes to scale Ethereum 100x, improving security and accessibility for everyone.
Imagine an Ethereum capable of multiplying its current capacity by 10, 50, or even 100 times without sacrificing security or decentralization. This is the reality that Vitalik Buterin, the mastermind behind Ethereum, aims to achieve with his new proposal. The key to achieving this lies in stateless nodes and a smarter data storage system that, combined, would overcome the ecosystem's current limitations.
BUY ETHEREUM (ETH) ON BIT2MEStateless nodes: the heart of the revolution
La Buterin's proposal, presented on his personal blog, aims to introduce nodes "stateless" o “stateless nodes”, which won't require storing the entire blockchain state. Currently, a full node must handle an immense amount of data to validate each transaction and system state, which limits scalability due to the demand for space and computing power.
But with this new design, Nodes would be able to validate blocks and perform queries without needing to host all historical data, storing only a selected and relevant portion that each user needs according to their interest. This substantial reduction in storage requirements could reduce the load these nodes carry by up to 50%, making it easier for more people to run local nodes.
This innovation would have a direct impact on the ability to increase Ethereum's gas limit—meaning it would allow for 10 to 100 times more transactions to be processed per block—without the growth making node maintenance unaffordable for mainstream users.
The constant challenge of scaling Ethereum
And this is critical for Ethereum, as the world's leading smart contract platform, it has experienced rapid growth. However, this success comes with considerable technical hurdles. The network faces a Layer 1 (L1) bottleneck, which limits the number of transactions per second and raises gas fees during times of high demand. The main challenge is how to increase this capacity without compromising decentralization and security, two founding principles that users value greatly.
Until now, one of the biggest problems has been the need for full nodes to store all blockchain information, a process that becomes more cumbersome and expensive as the network grows. Vitalik Buterin, aware of this, has presented an idea that could profoundly change this dynamic.
The impact on security and decentralization
On the other hand, it's worth remembering that a strong blockchain network depends on the active participation of independent nodes that validate and remember the system's history. When a few providers dominate access to Ethereum through centralized remote procedure call (RPC) services, it opens the door to censorship and undue control.
In this regard, Buterin warns that this risk intensifies as technological demands escalate, so making it easier for users to manage their own nodes is a cornerstone of preserving trustless and censorship-resistant access.
Hence, the transition to stateless nodes not only reduces technical costs, but also protects the network from the concentration of power and fosters a more diverse and robust community. Ultimately, it allows anyone, from an independent developer to an ordinary enthusiast, to access, verify, and contribute to consensus without relying on intermediaries.
Prepare your wallet and enter crypto now.Ethereum Layer 1 Scaling: A Change in User Experience
In his post, Buterin also detailed how this approach could make scaling Ethereum more user-friendly for users who prefer to run local nodes. These partially stateless nodes would operate by storing only the information needed for each user's specific activities, making the experience much less demanding on disk and bandwidth resources.
In addition, this system would be complemented by technical improvements such as the EIP-4444 protocol, which proposes that nodes retain only 36 days of historical data, further lightening the storage load. For those who use their nodes for daily activities, older data is often irrelevant or can be preserved using reliable, distributed external storage solutions.
With these measures, the threshold for contributing to the network is significantly lowered, which could accelerate mass adoption and decentralization, creating a virtuous cycle of security and scalability.
Beyond the nodes: an evolving ecosystem
Furthermore, the proposed system seeks not only an increase in capacity, but also a healthy balance between cost, efficiency, and access. Vitalik emphasizes that increasing the gas limit must be accompanied by smart economic adjustments, making storage more expensive and transaction execution cheaper. This incentivizes users to adopt practices that optimize blockchain usage and avoid congestion.
But not everything depends on Layer 1. The proposal integrates with other solutions such as sidechains and rollups, Layer 2 (L2) technologies that execute many operations off the main chain to ease the load and improve speed without sacrificing the security provided by Ethereum. Innovation in stateless nodes becomes the foundation for making these solutions even more efficient and accessible.
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Illustrative examples to understand change
To better visualize the impact, consider a gigantic library where each reader had to take all the books home to read them at any time. This meant that very few people were willing to participate in borrowing and reading, because the effort and space required were enormous.
With stateless nodes, it would be as if each reader only needed to take home a personalized selection of books based on what they really wanted to read, and could also consult a dynamic index to verify the authenticity and validity of the information without having to upload the entire file. This change lowers the barrier to participation and validation, encouraging library growth without overwhelming individual responsibility.
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