Definition ∞ On-Chain Verification Cost refers to the computational resources, typically measured in gas or transaction fees, required for a blockchain network to validate a cryptographic proof or a piece of data. This cost is incurred when a smart contract or a network node processes and confirms the authenticity of information submitted to the ledger. Minimizing this cost is critical for the efficiency and scalability of systems that rely on off-chain computation. Lower verification costs enable more complex and frequent off-chain interactions.
Context ∞ Crypto news often reports on advancements in zero-knowledge proof systems and other scaling technologies that aim to reduce on-chain verification costs. A key discussion involves the trade-off between the complexity of the proof and the resources needed to verify it on the main chain. Research efforts are focused on developing proofs that are succinct, meaning their verification cost is constant or polylogarithmic with respect to the computation size, rather than linear.
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