Part 4/8:
This disparity raises questions about how blockchain systems manage large volumes of data. As blockchains grow, the need for full nodes—complete records of all blockchain activity—becomes increasingly impractical. For instance, running a full node for a blockchain that generates 400 terabytes of data annually is an untenable requirement for most users.
The Shift to Pruned Nodes
To address these data limitations, blockchain entities have resorted to implementing pruned nodes, which allow users to run nodes without maintaining the complete blockchain history. While this functionality aids in reducing storage requirements, it introduces a crucial downside: without a complete historical archive, how can the validity of transactions and data be assured?