Block Compression
Also known as: Blockchain Data Compression, On-Chain Compression, Compact Block Format
A technique used to reduce the size of blockchain blocks by eliminating redundant or unnecessary data.
Block compression is a method for minimizing the data footprint of blockchain blocks without compromising verifiability. It involves techniques like transaction deduplication, Merkle tree optimizations, and encoding formats (e.g., RLP, protobuf) to reduce on-chain storage requirements and improve propagation speed. Compression helps scalability, especially for rollups and Layer 2 systems that post compressed transaction data to Ethereum or other base layers. Advanced systems also use zero-knowledge proofs to summarize transaction validity compactly. Effective block compression reduces costs, increases throughput, and enhances decentralization by lowering node hardware demands.