Authors:
(1) Oleksandr Kuznetsov, Proxima Labs, 1501 Larkin Street, suite 300, San Francisco, USA and Department of Political Sciences, Communication and International Relations, University of Macerata, Via Crescimbeni, 30/32, 62100 Macerata, Italy (kuznetsov@karazin.ua);
(2) Dzianis Kanonik, Proxima Labs, 1501 Larkin Street, suite 300, San Francisco, USA;
(3) Alex Rusnak, Proxima Labs, 1501 Larkin Street, suite 300, San Francisco, USA (alex@proxima.one);
(4) Anton Yezhov, Proxima Labs, 1501 Larkin Street, suite 300, San Francisco, USA;
(5) Oleksandr Domin, Proxima Labs, 1501 Larkin Street, suite 300, San Francisco, USA.
Table of Links
1.1. The Blockchain Paradigm and the Challenge of Scalability
1.3. Our contribution and 1.4. Article structure
2. Conceptualizing the Problem
3. Our Idea for Optimizing Trees in Blockchain
4. Efficiency of adaptive Merkle trees
5. Algorithm for Merkle Tree Restructuring
6.2. Example 1.1: Binary Tree Restructuring Through Leaf Node Swapping
6.3. Example 2.1: Restructuring a Non-Binary Tree by Adding a Single Leaf
6.4. Example 2.2: Restructuring a Non-Binary Tree Through Leaf Pair Swapping
6.5. Example 2.3: Restructuring a Patricia-Merkle Tree Fragment Through Leaf Pair Swapping
7. Path Encoding in the Adaptive Merkle Tree
8.2. Technology and Advantages
9.2. Comparison with Existing Solutions
8.2. Technology and Advantages
• Reduced Proof Sizes: By optimizing the structure of Verkle trees to reflect access patterns, we can significantly reduce the size of proofs required for verifying transactions. This is because frequently accessed data can be positioned closer to the root, making it quicker and less resource-intensive to generate and verify proofs.
• Enhanced Verification Speed: Adaptive restructuring can lead to a more efficient verification process. Shorter paths for frequently accessed data mean that less computational effort is required to verify transactions, enhancing the overall throughput of the blockchain network.
• Dynamic Scalability: As blockchain systems evolve, so do their storage and access patterns. Adaptive restructuring allows Verkle trees to dynamically adjust to these changes, ensuring that the data structure remains optimized for current usage trends. This adaptability is crucial for maintaining high performance as the system scales.
• Cost Efficiency: By optimizing the path lengths for data access and verification, the proposed approach can also reduce the cost associated with these operations. In blockchain systems where transaction costs are a significant concern, such as Ethereum, this can lead to substantial savings for users and applications.
• Application in Sharding: Verkle trees are particularly well-suited for sharded blockchain architectures. Adaptive restructuring can enhance the efficiency of cross-shard communication by optimizing the storage and retrieval of shard-specific data, further improving the scalability of sharded networks.
Thus, the integration of adaptive restructuring techniques with Verkle tree technology presents a promising avenue for enhancing blockchain efficiency. By dynamically optimizing data storage and access patterns, we can achieve significant improvements in proof size, verification speed, and overall system scalability. This approach not only addresses current scalability and efficiency challenges but also provides a flexible framework that can adapt to future developments in blockchain technology. As we continue to explore the potential of adaptive Verkle trees, it becomes increasingly clear that this innovative approach could play a pivotal role in the next generation of blockchain systems.
This paper is available on arxiv under CC by 4.0 Deed (Attribution 4.0 International) license.