Bitcoin UTXO Set Growth and the Cost of Pruned Nodes
The UTXO set grows with every block and pruning cannot touch it. A look at the mechanics, the real numbers, and the long-term cost for node operators.
№ 002BitcoinBitcoin's assumevalid and Pruned Nodes Explained
How Bitcoin's assumevalid parameter and pruned node sync work together, what they skip, and what that means for historical audit depth.
№ 003BitcoinBitcoin AssumeValid and IBD Security Explained
AssumeValid skips signature checks during Bitcoin's initial sync, the mechanics, the real risks, and what malicious peers can and cannot do.
№ 004BitcoinBitcoin's assumevalid: Script Skipping Explained
Bitcoin Core's assumevalid parameter cuts initial sync from days to hours by skipping old script checks, while still verifying proof-of-work and every UTXO.
№ 005EthereumEthereum Verkle Trees and State Proof Economics
Verkle trees cut Ethereum witness sizes from megabytes to ~150 KB, reshaping costs for node operators, validators, and proof generators.
№ 006BitcoinBitcoin Erlay Fanout Phase: Peer Selection Explained
Erlay's fanout phase pushes transactions to a randomized peer subset, not the whole network. A close look at the mechanism, its privacy logic, and its limits.
№ 007BitcoinBitcoin Mempool Replacement Policies Explained
Bitcoin nodes apply different replacement rules to the same transaction. The mechanics, tradeoffs, and practical fixes for a stuck or rejected bump.
№ 008EthereumEthereum Snap Sync: State Verification Without Full History
Snap sync lets Ethereum nodes verify current state without replaying every transaction, exact mechanism, security trade-offs, and a worked example included.
№ 009EthereumEthereum History Expiry: Decentralization vs Practicality
Ethereum's history expiry proposals would shrink node storage dramatically, and shift who bears the burden of keeping the chain's memory intact.
№ 010BitcoinBitcoin Compact Filters: Private Light Client Sync
BIP 157/158 compact filters let Bitcoin light clients verify transactions locally without exposing addresses to any full node. The mechanism, plainly explained.
№ 011SecurityBitcoin Peer Discovery and Eclipse Attacks Explained
Bitcoin's peer discovery resists eclipse attacks via randomized bucketing, anchor peers, and subnet limits, but the gaps are real and worth knowing.
№ 012EthereumEthereum Weak Subjectivity Checkpoints Explained
Long-range attacks can rewrite proof-of-stake history silently. This is the precise mechanism Ethereum uses to stop them, and what node operators must verify.