Providing Secure and Trust Minimized Access to the Network
“@Tinydancerio is an open-source light client implementation for the Solana blockchain. This client is used to make the Solana network more trust minimized.” There are 2,476 Solana validators (full nodes) spread over 6 continents right now, however these nodes can be prohibitively expensive or complicated to run for the average user. @Tinydancerio is offering a software that can run locally on any users device, connecting to nodes in the network to verify the state of the ledger and check for invalid state transitions.
What is the difference between a light client and a full node? Full nodes are participants in a blockchain network that maintain a complete copy of the blockchain’s data. This includes all transactions, blocks, and other relevant information since the genesis block. Full nodes play a crucial role in validating transactions, enforcing consensus rules, and relaying information across the network. They require significant storage space and computational resources to operate.
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Light clients, on the other hand, are software applications or devices that interact with the blockchain network but do not maintain a full copy of the blockchain. Instead, they rely on simplified methods like Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) to access and verify transactions. Light clients typically store only essential data such as block headers or partial blockchain information. They are designed to consume fewer resources compared to full nodes and are often used in environments with limited storage or processing capabilities, such as mobile wallets or web-based applications.
On May 17th, @Tinydancerio announced that it’s SVP had launched on the @solana Testnet! SPV is a method used in blockchain systems to allow lightweight clients to verify transactions without needing to download the entire blockchain. This means smaller devices like cell phones can still verify transactions via Proof of Inclusion because the amount of data they need to download and store is much less. “The goal is to make blockchain data available to all without relying on any third party full nodes like RPC servers.”
Community members have made numerous positive comments, giving insight on @Tinydancerio and the light client. For example, @kelxyz_ says “ETH has advantage bc of light clients for now, but @tinydancerio brings light clients to sol. @LoganJastremski explained how this means # of full nodes will be the decentralization metric that matters.” While more full nodes is absolutely required for greater security and decentralization, having a light client on Solana means that wallets, dApps, web-based applications, and blockchain explorers can respond to users needs with greater agility and security.
The SVP client is not 100% trustless as it relies on the fact that 2/3 (the supermajority) of validators are honest and acting in good faith. While this is not a perfect solution, the supermajority is used commonly in blockchain.
This light client is a huge step forwards for Solana and it’s very exciting that this is happening just as the market and Solana seem poised for a breakout towards ATHs. The integration of the light client means more and better apps will be developed on the Solana blockchain, and we can look forward to more innovation for the coin we all love and enjoy.
Hope you liked this article on Tinydancer! If you found this interesting go check out their X profile @Tinydancerio.
Cheers,
Davie
Quoted lines are taken directly from the @Tinydancerio website.
©2024 Davie Solana
