Ephemeral State

Definition ∞ Ephemeral state refers to data within a computing system that exists only for a brief duration and is not permanently stored. In blockchain contexts, this can relate to temporary computational data generated during transaction processing or smart contract execution that is not part of the permanent ledger. It contrasts with persistent state, which comprises the immutable records and balances stored on the blockchain. Managing ephemeral state efficiently is vital for network performance and scalability, particularly in complex decentralized applications.
Context ∞ The concept of ephemeral state gains relevance in discussions about blockchain scalability solutions and the optimization of network resources. News often covers how various layer-2 protocols or sharding techniques aim to reduce the amount of persistent data full nodes must store by effectively managing transient data. Improving the handling of ephemeral state is a significant area of research and development for enhancing the efficiency of decentralized systems.