Archive Nodes: Why They Matter

Public blockchains operate as vast peer-to-peer networks of interconnected computers. Each device, referred to as a node, plays a role in storing blockchain data, processing transactions, and verifying the state of the network.
Not all nodes are created equal; they serve different purposes based on their design and capabilities. Among these, archive nodes stand out for their ability to store the complete historical data of a blockchain. Full nodes maintain only the most recent states, light nodes rely on full nodes for data requests, archive nodes provide comprehensive access to the entire history of the network.

Archive Nodes in Ethereum#

An Ethereum archive node is a type of full node that retains the entire history of the blockchain, including the genesis block—the very first block ever created. Full and light nodes serve distinct purposes, archive nodes offer an unmatched ability to retrieve historical data.

Full Nodes
Full nodes store the current blockchain state along with the most recent 128 blocks. They handle tasks like validating new blocks, executing smart contracts, and processing transactions. Full nodes aren’t designed for intensive archival queries.
Light Nodes (Light Clients)
Light clients store only block headers, which provide minimal blockchain information such as timestamps and hashes. They depend on full nodes for additional data and require minimal resources, making them ideal for users with limited hardware.
Archive Nodes
Archive nodes, in contrast, store all the data of full nodes alongside the complete historical states of the blockchain. They require significant hardware investment but are invaluable for retrieving historical snapshots, such as account balances at specific block heights.

dPRC Archive nodes#

This is a table illustrating the availability dRPC's archive nodes.

How Archive Nodes Operate#

Archive nodes build a complete history of blockchain states by synchronizing every block from the genesis. During this process, they verify all blocks, re-execute every transaction, and store all intermediate states. This meticulous process explains their ability to serve historical data efficiently.

Synchronization Process

Synchronizing an archive node involves downloading full block data—headers, transactions, and receipts—while validating and storing it. This “full sync” ensures that the node accurately represents the blockchain’s history.

Time Investment

Syncing an archive node can take anywhere from one to three months, depending on the blockchain size and any technical challenges encountered. Archive nodes retain every bit of information, making the process significantly longer.

Storage Requirements for Archive Nodes

The data storage needs of archive nodes are immense. For instance, Ethereum archive nodes managed by popular clients like Geth and OpenEthereum currently exceed 10 TB in size. By comparison, full nodes only store approximately 700 GB. This disparity is due to archive nodes maintaining all historical data, unlike full nodes that discard obsolete information.