Vector commitments are a more advanced cryptographic technique that allows you to commit to a large amount of data and later prove that a specific element is part of that data without having to reveal or store the entire dataset.
They allow for much smaller and more efficient proofs than Merkle trees. Specifically, vector commitments allow the size of the proof to be constant, no matter how large the dataset is.
Suggested Reading: Verkle Trees
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Vector Commitments in Ethereum
Verkle Trees will be implemented in Pectra Upgrade in Ethereum.
The developers of Ethereum wanted to maintain a connection to the widely understood Merkle tree concept since it’s a familiar structure used in blockchains.
By incorporating vector commitments, Verkle trees offer the benefits of constant-sized proofs and lower overhead while still following a tree-like structure. This is why the name is a portmanteau of “vector” and “Merkle.”
