- Vitalik proposes Ethereum L1 nodes store only 36 days of history to cut storage needs.
- A new partially stateless node type will store only relevant data based on user preferences.
- The plan includes adjusting gas costs to lower execution fees and increasing storage expenses.
Vitalik Buterin has proposed a new scaling roadmap for Ethereum Layer 1 (L1). He shared the ideas in a recent post on Ethresear.ch. The post highlights key updates to reduce storage pressure on node operators. These changes aim to make it easier for users to run personal Ethereum nodes.
Ethereum’s network has grown quickly in recent years. This growth comes from the rising use of DeFi, NFTs, and on-chain gaming. However, more use has increased transaction fees and created slowdowns. Buterin’s new plan focuses on keeping Ethereum decentralized while scaling up its performance.
The update comes with the addition of EIP-4444. This proposal allows each node to store only information from the past 36 days. It helps reduce disk space needs, which have kept many users from running full nodes. Buterin noted this change as an urgent priority.
Another proposed change is a distributed storage system. Each node would store a small slice of old blockchain data. Erasure coding would help keep the system secure and reliable. This method avoids relying on centralized storage providers.
Buterin also introduced a new type of node known as “partially stateless nodes.” These nodes store only a portion of the blockchain data. They only save the information that the user uses the most. Users have the option to specify the state storage via the configuration file.
Some may store all addresses except spam contracts. Others may save popular tokens and DeFi app data. This flexibility allows users to reduce storage while keeping useful data locally. The approach supports trustless and private access to blockchain data.
Buterin warned that cryptographic methods like ZK-EVMs and PIR remain costly and incomplete. He said full trustless setups using one-server PIR still have high overhead. He also pointed out that request patterns can leak private user information.
He cautioned that relying on a few RPC providers could lead to censorship. Some providers already block access to entire countries. To solve this, Buterin supports easier self-hosted node options for users.
Related: Ethereum Foundation Unveils Trillion-Dollar Security Initiative
The roadmap also includes adjusting gas prices. It suggests making storage more expensive and lowering costs for execution. Higher fees for new state creation would discourage unnecessary data growth.
Overall, the main aim of the proposals is to handle Ethereum’s rising popularity while ensuring it remains decentralized. Micah Zoltu and Toni Wahrstätter were among the developers who gave feedback to Buterin’s post. The changes are part of Ethereum’s continued push to scale without sacrificing user control.
