Ethereum: What is a midstate? How does using a midstate speed up hashing?

Unlocking Efficiency: Understanding Intermediate States and Speeding Up Hashing

In the world of blockchain technology, especially with cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, it is crucial for developers, miners, and users to find ways to optimize performance. A common technique for this optimization is the use of intermediate states. In this article, we will explore what an average state is, what its importance is for hashing, and how it can significantly speed up the process.

What is an Intermediate State?

The average state means “the precomputed hash state after hashing the first half of the data.” This concept was introduced by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin while he was conducting research on how to optimize the blockchain hashing process. Essentially, the average state is a precomputed hash of the initial part of a block (or transaction) that contains all the information needed to create a valid block.

How ​​does hashing work?

With traditional hashing algorithms like SHA-256 or Keccak-256, data is divided into fixed-size chunks called blocks. Each piece is then hashed separately using the algorithm’s secret key. The end result of this process is used as input to another hash function to create a “hash value” that represents the entire block.

The problem with traditional hashing

Traditional hashing algorithms have several limitations:

• Computation time: Computing the hash of each piece separately takes time, making it inefficient for large data sets.

• Memory usage: Storing intermediate results of individual hashes can consume a lot of memory.

• Power consumption: Using many calculations or data storage bags can increase power consumption.

Middle States: Decision

The concept of an intermediate state removes these limitations by storing precomputed hash values ​​for the first half of the block. When hashing a new block, rather than recomputing individual hashes from scratch, these stored values ​​can be used directly.

Using the average state significantly reduces computation time and memory requirements:

• Computation Time: By avoiding redundant computations, average states can speed up overall processing time.

• Memory Usage: Storage costs are reduced because only the first half of the block is needed.

Implementation

To implement intermediate states in your Ethereum project or other blockchain applications, you will need to follow these general steps:

• Collect First Half Data: Collect all the data needed for a new block (transaction or block).

• Determine First Half Hash: Calculate the precomputed first half hash using the appropriate hashing algorithm.

• Use Intermediate State: Directly access and use the precomputed intermediate state when calculating the final hash state.

Conclusion

Intermediate states are a valuable optimization technique that can significantly improve the performance of Ethereum-based blockchain applications. By using precomputed hash values ​​on the first half of the data, developers and miners can reduce computation time, memory usage, and power consumption while maintaining high security standards.

While implementing project intermediate states may require additional setup and configuration, it is a promising solution to overcome the limitations of traditional hash algorithms.