StarkWare, a ZK cryptography firm, has launched a 1MB proof of the Bitcoin ledger designed for mobile transaction verification.
Mobile Bitcoin Verification Enters the ZK Era
The proof includes every Bitcoin block header from the 2009 genesis block to present day, omitting the 680+ gigabytes of full transaction data but retaining critical metadata: version, timestamp, previous hash, block size, and nonce.
A Decentralization Safeguard or a New Risk?
The announcement comes amid growing debate over ledger bloat and the future of Bitcoin node infrastructure. With rising hardware costs sidelining smaller node operators, StarkWare’s mobile verifier aims to provide decentralized access without compromising speed or independence.
The Node Wars Intensify: Knots vs Core
The launch aligns with Bitcoin Core 30, an update set to remove the OP_Return data cap, driving many node operators to Bitcoin Knots, an alternative client with customizable data thresholds. By 2025, Knots nodes have skyrocketed to nearly 20% of the Bitcoin network.
StarkWare's innovations in compressing the blockchain make a decade and a half of Bitcoin history usable on smartphones, potentially preserving the ethos of permissionless access while addressing decentralization concerns.
