Knowledge
What are blockchain snapshots?
Snapshots are verified archives of chain data. They help validators, RPC providers, exchanges, and indexers recover faster, scale to new regions, and keep infrastructure SLAs intact.
Fundamentals
Why snapshots exist
- A snapshot is an archived copy of a blockchain data directory (state, blocks, indexes) that lets you bootstrap a new node without replaying the entire chain from genesis.
- They are delivered as compressed tar archives (usually LZ4 or Zstandard) and include checksums so operators can verify integrity before restoring.
- Snapshots save days of synchronization time and dramatically reduce SSD wear, especially on archival or high-throughput networks.
Ecosystems
Where snapshots deliver the most value
Cosmos SDK chains
Validators rely on state-sync friendly snapshots to join new testnets or recover after a slashing event. RPC providers grab daily `.lz4` exports to scale public endpoints across regions.
EVM & L2 networks
Execution/client pairs such as Geth, Erigon, Nethermind, or Arbitrum Nitro need separate data directories. Ready-to-use snapshots let you deploy nodes near trading venues and keep MEV strategies online.
Aptos and Move-based chains
Move validators have heavy storage requirements. Snapshots remove the bottleneck of replaying every transaction and help partners maintain multi-cluster resiliency.
Indexer & analytics workloads
SubQuery, The Graph, and bespoke Postgres/ClickHouse warehouses consume database snapshots to keep pipelines warm without expensive reindexing.
Business impact
Why infrastructure leads insist on snapshots
- Fast incident recovery: hardware failures, corrupted disks, or provider downtime no longer require multi-day syncs.
- Regulated teams gain predictable restore points that can be mirrored to their own object storage or air-gapped sites.
- Engineering teams shift effort from maintaining bootstrap scripts to building monitoring, APIs, and user-facing products.
- For indexers, snapshots protect against schema changes: you can roll back, test migrations, and deliver data to customers without reprocessing historical blocks.
Workflow
Typical restore routine
- Download the latest archive for your network (daily, weekly, or on-demand).
- Verify the checksum provided by Web3CDN and decompress using `lz4 -d snapshot.tar.lz4 | tar -xf -` or the command noted in the listing.
- Replace the data directory on your node or database service, adjust permissions, then restart the process. State-sync and consensus will catch up from the snapshot height.
- Schedule recurring syncs or request a private mirror so future recoveries become a routine maintenance task.