Scribd
Upload
36 views

Merkle Patricia Tree Explained

Uploaded by

JADEN JOSEPH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
36 views

Merkle Patricia Tree Explained

Uploaded by

JADEN JOSEPH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Merkle Patricia Tree Explained

explain merkle patricia tree with the help of this diagram

The diagram you provided illustrates an Ethereum block header and shows how various components,
including the stateRoot, transactionsRoot, and receiptsRoot, are organized and connected. The
Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT) plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and structure of
Ethereum’s data, especially regarding account states.

Explanation of Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT):

1. Merkle Trees:
Merkle trees are data structures used in blockchains to ensure data integrity and quick
verification of large sets of data.
In Ethereum, they help efficiently store and validate the Ethereum account state,
transaction lists, and receipts.

2. Patricia Trie (Prefix Tree):


It’s a specialized version of the Merkle tree called a Patricia Trie. This structure combines
Merkle trees with a radix/prefix tree.
It enables efficient verification and retrieval of account balances and other state
information.

Components of MPT in the Diagram:

StateRoot:

Printed using Save ChatGPT as PDF, powered by PDFCrowd HTML to PDF API. 1/2
The stateRoot is a hash of the root node of the MPT that represents the state of all
accounts in Ethereum at a particular block.
It captures the account states: balances, nonces, codeHashes, and storageRoots.
Each node in the tree represents a part of an account state. The MPT allows efficient
lookups and modifications to account data while maintaining integrity.

TransactionsRoot:
Similar to the state root, the transactionsRoot stores all transactions within the block. It's
organized in a Merkle Tree to allow efficient verification of each transaction's inclusion
without revealing the full list of transactions.

ReceiptsRoot:
The receiptsRoot is a root hash of all the transaction receipts (logs and results of executing
transactions). Like the other roots, it uses a Merkle Tree structure for efficient validation.

How it Works:

Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT) Structure:


The Ethereum account state and other elements like transaction lists are represented using
this tree.
The MPT combines Merkle hashing for cryptographic proofs and Patricia tries for space-
efficient storage. When data (like account balances or storage values) is added, deleted, or
updated, the corresponding node in the tree is updated, and the hashes from the bottom
to the root of the tree are recalculated, ensuring data integrity.

Benefits:
Efficient Proofs: A light node can verify whether a particular account or transaction exists
by querying just a small portion of the tree, making verification faster.
Data Integrity: Any modification to a single node in the MPT causes changes in the hash
values of parent nodes all the way up to the root, ensuring that no tampering or forgery
can go unnoticed.

This diagram shows how the state root and other key components are connected through this tree
structure, with the MPT ensuring the immutability and security of Ethereum’s blockchain data.

Would you like a further breakdown of how each Ethereum component works with the MPT?
ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Printed using Save ChatGPT as PDF, powered by PDFCrowd HTML to PDF API. 2/2

You might also like