Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled a roadmap to address the platform’s increasing complexity and data overload. In an article published on October 26, Buterin outlined a solution called “The Purge” that aims to reduce unnecessary data storage on the network.
According to Buterin, each node currently requires around 1.1 terabytes of disk space to operate on the Ethereum network. He argued that it is unnecessary for every node to store all historical data, and by eliminating this requirement, running a node could become more cost-effective. He proposed a scenario where, if the number of nodes increased to 100,000 and each node randomly stored only 10% of historical data, every piece of data would be replicated 10,000 times, achieving the same level of redundancy as a network with 10,000 nodes storing all data.
Additionally, Buterin highlighted the need to limit the growth of account balances, contract codes, and storage on the Ethereum network over time. This would prevent a long-term increase in storage requirements for clients.
“The Purge” is the fifth installment in Buterin’s series of writings on Ethereum’s future. He also introduced “The Scourge” in October, which aims to address risks of centralization associated with the proof-of-stake model, and “The Verge,” which aims to improve node efficiency. These initiatives are seen as crucial steps towards Ethereum’s long-term scalability, technical sustainability, and security.
Buterin emphasized that this roadmap is aimed at establishing Ethereum as a sustainable and stable platform in the long run. He stated, “Defining this general path for Ethereum and achieving a stable outcome in the long term is the ultimate goal for Ethereum’s scalability, technical sustainability, and security.”
Buterin’s proposals have garnered attention as innovative solutions to Ethereum’s fundamental issues of complexity and data overload.