Key takeaways
- Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has proposed some changes to make the network more user-friendly.
- Through the latest proposal, Buterin aims to make Ethereum’s base layer more advanced and efficient without losing its decentralization.
- “Increasing the L1 gas limit and concerns about network security are the factors that make Ethereum harder to run a full node,” opines Buterin.
- Running an Ethereum full node will be lighter in the future through a new ‘Partial stateless’ approach.
Vitalik Buterin, the Ethereum co-founder, shared a post on Monday addressing the challenges of scaling layer-1. In his latest proposal, he put forward a new approach called ‘Partial stateless’, which could make running an Ethereum full node lighter and cheaper. The new Partial stateless nodes will use ZK-EVM proofs to validate transactions within the network, and the EIP-4444 will be responsible for reducing the node storage requirements and making node operations more accessible.
Vitalik Buterin Proposes Ethereum node Upgrades to Make the Network more Accessible and Cheaper
In a latest blog post published on May 19, Monday, Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, introduced a new model to tackle the hardware burdens associated with running an Ethereum node. According to Buterin’s blog post, the newly designed model will allow Ethereum users to store only a subset of the network data and make the node running process accessible to every user on their personal gadgets. The experts from the blockchain arena believe that the proposal could enhance the decentralization of Ethereum by attracting more users to the network since the new model does not demand expensive infrastructure and hardware to run the network node.
Partially stateless nodes, the newly announced idea from Buterin allows the users to store a subset of network data instead of storing the entire network data that might cross the threshold of 1.3 TB. Buterin stated in his blog post that this was the new idea and would be key for allowing personal node operation even in a context where the L1 gas limit grew by 10-100 times.
He explained that they added a node type that verifies blocks statelessly, verifies the whole chain, and keeps a portion of the state up-to-date. He noted that the node was capable of responding to RPC requests as long as the required data was within that subset of the state, while other requests would fail.
Operating a full Ethereum node or running it is an expensive process; users usually require disk space of over 1 TB to perform, and this can be impractical for some users who cannot afford these sophisticated, expensive items. With the newly proposed idea, all the users and institutions can run nodes on their personal devices and making the process more accessible and cheaper.
Buterin’s new proposal is based on the active implementation of EIP-4444, the Ethereum Improvement Proposal that aims to tackle the storage burden on Ethereum nodes by limiting the historical data that an operator needs to store. EIP-4444 limits the node history storage to 36 days and ensures that a reduction in heavy storage requirements is possible, and users can seamlessly run their own nodes.
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Blockchain Landscape reactions to Buterin’s new proposal!
BlockChair, one of the leading blockchain search, analytics engines, and API, reported that Vitalik’s proposal for ‘partial stateless nodes’ is a strategic move aimed at balancing Ethereum’s scalability and decentralization. They noted that accelerating EIP-4444 and adjusting gas fees could significantly reduce node operation costs, thereby fostering a more inclusive network.
Sylvain Desjardins, the Founder of WAWI Token & NUMERIICA, posted on X that the partially stateless node concept is Buterin’s most elegant solution yet to the running-a-node dilemma. He explained that it transcends the false binary of “full node or nothing” that has dominated scaling debates for years. He expressed that what excites him most is how it naturally aligns with actual user behavior patterns, noting that everyone interacts with specific slices of the ecosystem.
Finjuris Counsel FZ-LLC, the leading international legal advisory firm, tweeted on X that Vitalik’s partially stateless nodes could be a game changer for Ethereum by cutting validator costs, improving scalability, and pushing the network toward true decentralization. They also added that the future of Ethereum is leaner, faster, and more accessible.