BIP 36 (merkle block request)
BIP 36, described in BIP-36, aimed to formalize how lightweight nodes could request only relevant parts of a block (the merkle block) without downloading everything. This technique saved bandwidth by delivering a pruned version of the block containing only transactions that matched a user’s filters.
Although it showed promise, subsequent developments like BIP-37 and later BIP-157/158 introduced more advanced, privacy-friendly methods. As such, BIP 36 is more of a stepping stone in Bitcoin’s journey toward efficient light client protocols than an active feature widely in use today.
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