Ethereum light client Helios is here, achieving completely trustless on-chain access.

On November 8th, a light client for Ethereum named Helios was officially released. This client is developed based on the Rust language and aims to provide completely trustless access to Ethereum.

One of the major advantages of blockchain technology is that it allows individuals to control their own wealth and data without relying on third parties. Public chains like Ethereum have largely fulfilled this promise, enabling users to truly own their assets. However, for the sake of convenience, we have also made some compromises. One of these is the use of centralized remote calling (RPC) servers.

Currently, users typically access the Ethereum network through centralized service providers. These companies run high-performance nodes on cloud servers, making it convenient for users to access on-chain data. Whenever a wallet queries token balances or checks transaction statuses, these centralized services are almost always utilized.

The problem with this approach is that users need to trust the service provider and cannot verify the accuracy of the query results. Helios was created to solve this issue. It can convert data from untrusted centralized RPC providers into verifiable local RPC. By combining with centralized RPC, Helios can verify data authenticity without the need to run a full node.

Helios has advantages such as fast synchronization speed and no storage requirements, allowing users to securely access on-chain data through various devices including mobile phones and browser plugins (. While ensuring security, it also takes convenience into account, making it a promising ideal choice for a wide range of users.

Helios consists of two parts: the consensus layer and the execution layer. The consensus layer utilizes the synchronization committee mechanism of the beacon chain to quickly verify block header information. The execution layer combines the verified beacon block headers with the untrusted execution layer RPC to provide validated execution layer data.

With this design, Helios can complete synchronization in about two seconds without the need for storage space and provides completely trustless access to Ethereum. Users can use Helios as an RPC provider for wallets like MetaMask to securely access various DApps.

The emergence of Helios has brought new possibilities to the Ethereum ecosystem. It not only enhances the security of the network but also reduces reliance on centralized infrastructure. In the future, we look forward to seeing more innovative applications based on Helios, such as supporting the retrieval of light client data from P2P networks and integrating Helios into wallet software.

With the development of this type of light client technology, the Ethereum network is expected to provide users with a more convenient and secure service experience while maintaining its decentralized essence.