Clear DefinitionsArchival Node
1 min read
Pronunciation
[ahr-kahy-vuhl nohd]
Analogy
If a regular full node is like having today's version of a city map, an archival node is like keeping every version of the city map ever published, allowing you to see how the city looked at any point in history.
Definition
A specialized blockchain node that maintains the complete historical state of the blockchain at every block height, not just the current state. Archival nodes store all historical data ever recorded on the blockchain, enabling access to any past state.
Key Points Intro
Archival nodes preserve the complete historical record of a blockchain's evolution.
Key Points
Stores all historical states, not just the current state.
Enables queries about blockchain data at any previous block height.
Requires significantly more storage than standard full nodes.
Essential for certain applications requiring historical data access.
Example
Technical Deep Dive
In account-based blockchains like Ethereum, the distinction between full and archival nodes is particularly significant. Standard full nodes store recent blocks and the current state (account balances, contract code, etc.) but prune older historical states to save space. Archival nodes, by contrast, retain all historical state transitions. On Ethereum, this distinction makes archival nodes orders of magnitude larger—potentially exceeding 12TB compared to ~1TB for a standard full node.
Caveat
Due to their enormous storage requirements, archival nodes are typically operated by specialized service providers, researchers, and blockchain analytics companies rather than individual users, creating some centralization of historical data access.
Archival Node - Related Articles
No related articles for this term.