The post Ethereum Implements Partial History Expiry to Optimize Node Storage appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Rebeca Moen
Jul 08, 2025 08:08

Ethereum introduces partial history expiry, allowing node operators to reduce storage requirements by 300-500 GB, aligning with EIP-4444. This initiative aims to improve node efficiency while maintaining data integrity.

Ethereum has announced a significant update to its network with the implementation of partial history expiry, in line with Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4444. This change, which took effect as of July 8, 2025, allows all Ethereum execution clients to reduce the storage requirements for running a node by 300-500 gigabytes. This reduction is achieved by removing block data prior to the Ethereum Merge, enabling nodes to operate efficiently on a 2 TB disk, according to Ethereum’s official blog. Understanding Blockchain History The blockchain’s history is essentially a continuous chain of blocks starting from a defined genesis point, which for Ethereum occurred on July 30, 2015. Each block contains critical information such as protocol details, user transactions, and transaction receipts. While this historical data is crucial for full validation and index construction, it is not regularly accessed by everyday Ethereum users. Instead, it serves more advanced users and developers for tasks such as validating Layer 2 solutions or accessing past state data through archive nodes. Adapting to Proof-of-Stake With Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake during the Merge, the network’s syncing strategy has evolved. Previously, full validation from genesis was necessary to verify the integrity of the chain. However, the introduction of proof-of-stake allows for a weak subjectivity checkpoint, reducing the need for nodes to fully verify every block from genesis. This change supports the new reverse sync strategy, minimizing the need for nodes to download and store over 1 TB of unused data. Ensuring Data Availability Despite the reduction in stored data, Ethereum ensures high availability…

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Filed under: News - @ July 9, 2025 1:22 am