Trees, roots and proofs
Begin with “Merkle trees and proofs” and work toward “Merkle proof challenge set”. Each available lesson includes a visual explanation and a quick knowledge check.
Read in order or choose a topic below. Completion marks stay in this browser. All 20 lessons in this track are available.
- 01
Merkle trees and proofs
Prove that one item belongs to a set using a short path of hashes.
8 MIN READ - 02
Hash a Merkle leaf
The leaf encoding is part of the tree definition.
4 MIN READ - 03
Hash a pair of nodes
Combine two fixed-width digests under an explicit rule.
4 MIN READ - 04
Sorted pairs versus ordered pairs
Position-sensitive and commutative trees require different proof rules.
4 MIN READ - 05
Odd leaf construction choices
An unmatched node needs a documented construction rule.
4 MIN READ - 06
Build a membership proof
Collect the sibling needed at each step toward the root.
4 MIN READ - 07
Verify a membership proof
Recompute the path and compare it with the accepted root.
4 MIN READ - 08
Proof size and tree depth
Balanced binary trees provide logarithmic-sized membership paths.
4 MIN READ - 09
Why a trusted root matters
A proof is only as relevant as the root it is checked against.
4 MIN READ - 10
Multiproofs at a glance
Several leaves can share intermediate reconstruction work.
4 MIN READ - 11
Merkle allowlists explained
A contract can check membership without storing every entry individually.
4 MIN READ - 12
Leaf encoding ambiguity
A secure digest cannot fix an ambiguous original encoding.
4 MIN READ - 13
Double-hashed leaf conventions
Some standard tree formats hash encoded leaves twice.
4 MIN READ - 14
Ethereum tries versus binary Merkle trees
A simple binary playground is not an execution-state proof implementation.
4 MIN READ - 15
State roots versus transaction roots
Different roots commit to different parts of a block’s execution context.
4 MIN READ - 16
Receipts roots explained
Receipts have their own block commitment.
4 MIN READ - 17
Account proofs at a glance
A state proof connects an account record to an accepted state root.
4 MIN READ - 18
Storage proofs at a glance
Connect a slot claim through the account’s committed storage root.
4 MIN READ - 19
Verkle trees as a design direction
Study a proposed commitment design without treating it as an activation promise.
4 MIN READ - 20
Merkle proof challenge set
Explain leaf encoding, path rules and root authority as one system.
4 MIN READ