Smart storage strategies for blockchain: a review of approaches

Blockchain technology has drawn the attention of researchers across multiple industries, encompassing fields such as healthcare and manufacturing. Although blockchain's immutability, transparency, and traceability are undeniable advantages, persistent challenges limit its widespread integration. A significant problem encountered in blockchains is storage, particularly due to the growing number of blocks in the network. As the blockchain's size increases, it becomes harder for network peers to maintain pace, causing delays in transaction processing and reduced scalability. Furthermore, a larger blockchain requires more time to synchronize with new network nodes, which poses a significant challenge for new nodes who must download and verify the complete blockchain. This can create a bottleneck that restricts network scalability. Additionally, peers might encounter difficulties storing the entire blockchain, impeding their participation in network activities and transaction validation. Consequently, this situation could lead to centralization, where only peers with substantial storage capacities can engage in mining. Blockchain technology is undergoing rapid expansion, so innovative blockchain designs are needed. This article focuses on addressing the storage issue in current blockchain systems and exploring its impact on scalability. It explores current approaches for improving the storage efficiency of blockchain technology. These suggested solutions are grouped according to their methods, and their effectiveness is assessed through a comprehensive comparative analysis.