Recently, Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, proposed an important update that could dramatically simplify the launch and use of nodes on the network. Previously, a full-fledged node was something of a luxury — you need a powerful computer, a lot of memory and time — but now everything can change. Buterin suggests switching to a new data storage model, and it sounds like Ethereum is moving from a data center to your room.
What does he suggest?
The bottom line is the "locally first" approach. Currently, each node must store almost the entire Ethereum blockchain, which is already more than 1.3 terabytes of data. Imagine that you need to store all this, even if you don't use most of this data. It's like if you had to buy the whole library to read one book.
Buterin suggests another way: store only what you really need as a user, and upload the rest as needed. Historical data can be "borrowed" on request. This makes the node's operation much easier and cheaper. Even a regular laptop or a home server can handle it.
Why is this important?
Up to this point, only enthusiasts with serious equipment or companies renting cloud servers could afford a full-fledged Ethereum node. This situation leads to centralization, where most of the traffic and control ends up in the hands of a few.
Now, thanks to the new approach, more and more ordinary people will be able to connect to the network directly. It means:
Network security increases (the more nodes, the better).
The risk of censorship and points of failure is reduced.
Decentralization is increasing — one of the key ideas of the blockchain.
What does this change in the future?
This is not just a technical update, but a step towards a more open and democratic Ethereum. The network will be able to scale, develop, and launch new projects — from DeFi to AI applications - without loss of resilience. And most importantly, even those who used to just watch from the sidelines will be able to take part in this.
Now the network is becoming more accessible to everyone. So I have a question for you:
if launching your own Ethereum node becomes as easy as installing a torrent client, would you try?
