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How Does a Merkle Tree Enable “Simplified Payment Verification” (SPV)?

A Merkle Tree organizes all transactions in a block into a single root hash. SPV clients, typically light wallets, only need the block header and a small path of hashes, called a Merkle proof, to verify that a specific transaction was included in the block.

They do not need to download the entire blockchain, saving bandwidth and storage. This path confirms the transaction's inclusion without revealing all other transactions.

In the Context of a Cryptocurrency Transaction, What Is the Role of an Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO)?
How Does a Block header’S Merkle Root Relate to the Immutability of the Block’s Transaction Data?
How Is the Merkle Tree Root Hash Used to Prove the Inclusion of a Transaction in a Block?
What Is the Fundamental Difference between a Full Node and an SPV Client in a Blockchain Network?