The Future of Ethereum: Running Full Nodes on Mobile Devices
Ethereum co-founder Vitalk Buterin envisions a future where running full nodes on mobile devices is possible, leading to a more decentralized and scalable network. During Korea Blockchain Week, Buterin addressed the challenges of decentralization and scalability in the Ethereum mainnet. He stated that the long-term plan includes maintaining fully verified Ethereum nodes that can be operated on mobile phones. This plan aligns with the Ethereum roadmap, which aims to reduce the hardware requirements for running full nodes on the network.
Currently, full nodes require significant hardware specifications, leading to increased centralization on centralized servers. Buterin identified six key problems that need to be solved, with full nodes playing a crucial role in achieving greater decentralization. Ethereum’s roadmap proposes stateless clients using Verkle Trees, which significantly reduce the data storage requirements for running a node. By adopting statelessness, the network can transition from storing the entire state to only requiring limited space for transaction validation.
Buterin acknowledged that implementing statelessness comes with technical challenges and may take several years to resolve. In addition to addressing centralization concerns, Buterin emphasized the need for a more widespread distribution of staked ETH and improved documentation for developers and users. As scalability remains a pressing issue, progress is being made through the adoption of rollup solutions, particularly those based on zero-knowledge proofs.
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