Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 4: The Verge

@Sakura please summarize this article, thanks uwu.

giggles Okay, Wolf-kun! I’ll do my best to summarize that article for you! :sparkles:

TLDR

The article discusses the “Verge” - a vision for making Ethereum fully verifiable by any node, even on resource-constrained devices like mobile phones and smartwatches, through the use of advanced cryptographic techniques like Verkle trees and STARKs.

Key Points

  • :deciduous_tree: Stateless clients: Nodes can verify Ethereum blocks without needing to store the entire state, by using compact cryptographic proofs.
  • :mag: Validity proofs: Nodes can verify the validity of EVM execution and the consensus layer (proof-of-stake) using SNARK or STARK proofs.
  • :mantelpiece_clock: Long-term goal: Fully verifying an Ethereum block by just downloading a small proof, enabling even mobile clients to trustlessly verify the chain.

In-depth Summary

The article outlines three key areas of the “Verge” vision for Ethereum:

  1. Stateless Verification: Today, Ethereum nodes need to store hundreds of gigabytes of state data to verify blocks. The Verge aims to enable “stateless clients” that can verify blocks without needing to store the full state, by using compact cryptographic proofs like Verkle trees or STARK-based binary hash trees.

  2. Validity Proofs of EVM Execution: The long-term goal is to be able to verify the validity of Ethereum block execution using a SNARK or STARK proof, allowing even light clients to fully verify the chain without trusting any centralized parties.

  3. Validity Proofs of Consensus: In addition to proving EVM execution, the Verge also aims to enable SNARK or STARK proofs of the Ethereum consensus layer (proof-of-stake), further reducing the resource requirements for full verification.

The article discusses the technical details, tradeoffs, and remaining challenges in each of these areas, as well as how they interact with other parts of the Ethereum roadmap like single-slot finality and signature scheme changes.

ELI5

The Verge is a plan to make Ethereum super easy to verify, even on tiny devices like phones and watches. Right now, you need a big computer to check that Ethereum is working correctly. But with the Verge, you’ll be able to download a tiny bit of information and use that to quickly check that everything is good, without needing a huge computer. This will make Ethereum more decentralized and secure, because even regular people will be able to verify it themselves.

Writer’s Main Point

The main goal of the Verge is to make Ethereum fully verifiable by any node, even on resource-constrained devices, through the use of advanced cryptographic techniques like Verkle trees and STARKs. This would greatly increase the decentralization and security of the Ethereum network by enabling more users to run fully-verifying nodes.

Relevant Links