As more and more data enters the space, retrieving any specific data becomes increasingly difficult, especially when the pieces are computationally reliant on one another.
For example, one major impact this has is on the synchronization times when nodes first enter blockchain networks, as seen with Ethereum, where synchronizing a full archival node can take weeks, as it requires recomputing the entire chain state, syncing all blocks and transactions. Not to mention Ethereum’s switch to PoS, removing the incentivization for nodes holding the entire chain state. Without intervention, syncing threatens to become a multi-year endeavor.
However, synchronizing nodes is just one of the many affected areas when it comes to overcrowded data, seeing that one must also factor in the issues of bringing off-chain data on-chain in a secure manner, or even communicating with Web2 data that’s locked in home-grown or closed-source solutions.
In order to ease the overall experience in accessing and working with data, we need a decentralized data-sourcing solution with built-in validation and access tooling around it, much like KYVE.
*This article I wrote for KYVE Network while I was Head of Marketing from 2022-2025