Historical and Multichain Storage Proofs

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of storage proofs in the Ethereum ecosystem, examining their role in addressing historical and cross-chain state access challenges. We systematically review existing approaches to historical state verification, comparing Merkle Mountain Range (MMR) and Merkle-Patricia trie (MPT) architectures. An analysis involves their respective performance characteristics within zero-knowledge contexts, where performance challenges related to Keccak-256 are explored. The paper also examines the cross-chain verification, particularly focusing on the interactions between Ethereum and Layer 2 networks. Through careful analysis of storage proof patterns across different network configurations, we identify and formalize three architectures for cross-chain verification. By organizing this complex technical landscape, this analysis provides a structured framework for understanding storage proof implementations in the Ethereum ecosystem, offering insights into their practical applications and limitations.