Vitalik Buterin Proposes ‘Partially Stateless Nodes’ to Enhance Ethereum Scalability and Privacy

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has introduced a proposal aimed at improving the scalability and privacy of the Ethereum

Sophia Cruz•Wednesday, May 21, 2025•2 min read

Quick overview

Vitalik Buterin has proposed 'partially stateless nodes' to enhance Ethereum's scalability and privacy.
This new concept allows users to run nodes with reduced hardware requirements by storing only relevant subsets of the blockchain state.
The proposal aims to decrease reliance on centralized RPC providers, thereby improving censorship resistance and user privacy.
Partially stateless nodes align with Ethereum's goals of decentralization and sustainability, potentially impacting the broader cryptocurrency market.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has introduced a proposal aimed at improving the scalability and privacy of the Ethereum network through the implementation of “partially stateless nodes.”

This concept seeks to make it more feasible for individuals to run Ethereum nodes without the extensive hardware requirements currently necessary.

Traditional Ethereum nodes are required to store the entire state of the blockchain, which has grown significantly over time. This storage demand can be a barrier for users who wish to operate their own nodes, leading many to rely on centralized Remote Procedure Call (RPC) providers. Buterin warns that dependence on a limited number of RPC providers poses risks to censorship resistance and user privacy.

The proposed partially stateless nodes would allow users to store only a subset of the Ethereum state relevant to their activities, such as data pertaining to their own accounts or frequently used smart contracts. By not requiring the storage of the full blockchain history, these nodes would reduce the hardware burden on users. They would still be capable of verifying blocks and responding to data requests for the portions of the state they manage.

This approach aligns with Ethereum’s broader goals of decentralization and scalability. By lowering the barriers to running a node, more users can participate in the network directly, enhancing its resilience and trustlessness. Furthermore, it addresses privacy concerns by reducing reliance on centralized services that may collect user data.

Other projects in Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, such EIP-4444, which suggests deleting outdated blockchain data to save storage needs, are enhanced by the partially stateless node notion. As Ethereum grows, these initiatives collectively seek to increase its sustainability and accessibility.

Although the concept is still in its infancy, it is a big step in the direction of decentralizing and improving Ethereum’s usability. Since these events could affect the network’s architecture and, in turn, the larger cryptocurrency market, financial brokers and investors should keep an eye on them.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More

Sophia Cruz

Financial Writer - Asian & European Desks

Sophia is an experienced writer, reporter and newsdesk member, mostly on the financial sectors. For the past 5 years Sophia has covered a wide variety of topics such as the financial markets, economics, technology, fin-tech and trading. Sophia has been a part of the FX Leaders team since 2017 and works on producing valuable content and information for traders of all levels of experience.