The post Evan Shapiro Built The Lightest Blockchain In The World appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Evan Shapiro created Mina Protocol to make blockchain lightweight enough for mobile access and everyday use. Even after stepping down, Shapiro continues shaping the future of decentralized digital identity and data ownership. Amid the hustle and bustle of the crypto industry, full of jargon and giant transactions, one name has emerged that is taking a different direction. Evan Shapiro, a computer science graduate from Carnegie Mellon, chose an unusual path, he created a super lightweight blockchain, only 22 kilobytes (KB) in size. No, this is not the size of a whitepaper or demo clip. This is really the size of the entire chain that can be accessed by anyone. As if he was challenging an industry that likes to exaggerate everything. This story began in 2017 when Shapiro, along with his colleague Izaak Meckler, founded O(1) Labs. Instead of chasing the general crypto trend, they were interested in one thing that seemed boring but very important: efficiency. He wanted to create a blockchain that did not burden ordinary users. Because, not everyone has a data center-class laptop? Turning an Idealistic Dream Into a Real, Usable Blockchain Initially, their concept was criticized for being too idealistic. But Shapiro remained steadfast. He and his team used a technology known as zk-SNARK to reduce the size of the data that had to be stored. The result is Mina Protocol, a network that can be run from a browser or mobile phone, without the need for a heavy-duty machine. Imagine managing wallets and transactions without having to download a city-sized blockchain. However, the journey has not always been smooth. He briefly left the CEO position at the Mina Foundation in 2023. Maybe to take a breather or get away from the routine that was shackling him. But just a year later, he returned with…

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Filed under: News - @ May 30, 2025 12:19 am