# Light Clients in Action

Light clients are an essential component of blockchain ecosystems, designed to operate with minimal resource requirements while maintaining network security. Unlike full nodes, which download and verify every transaction and block, light clients only download a subset of the blockchain data, focusing on headers and a few specific transactions. This lightweight approach allows light clients to run on devices with limited computational power and storage, such as smartphones or IoT devices, making blockchain technology more accessible and efficient.

# Helios Light Clients
[Helios Light](https://github.com/a16z/helios) client is a prime example of an efficient and robust light client. It is designed to provide a secure and resource-efficient way to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. Helios achieves this by relying on the trustless assumption of the blockchain's consensus mechanism, verifying block headers and using cryptographic proofs to ensure the validity of specific transactions and states. This approach significantly reduces the data and computational load on the client, allowing for seamless integration into various applications without compromising security.

# Light Client Emerging Use Cases
Light clients are finding a variety of emerging use cases in the blockchain space. One prominent use case is in co-processing, where light clients can offload specific computational tasks to more powerful nodes while maintaining overall transaction integrity. This is particularly useful in scenarios where devices need to interact with the blockchain but lack the resources to process and verify large amounts of data.

# Potential Use Cases
The combination of light clients and [Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs)](https://hal.science/hal-01246364/file/trustcom_2015_tee_what_it_is_what_it_is_not.pdf) represents a significant advancement for decentralized applications (dApps). TEEs provide a secure environment for executing sensitive computations, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. When integrated with light clients, this combination can offload complex computations to TEEs while the light client handles blockchain interactions.

This integration can be a game changer for dApps. For instance, TEEs can process large volumes of data or execute complex algorithms securely, while light clients maintain the lightweight interaction with the blockchain. This setup can enhance the scalability, security, and efficiency of dApps. As outlined in the [Flashbots' SUAVE TEE Coprocessor](https://writings.flashbots.net/suave-tee-coprocessor), the synergy between light clients and TEEs can lead to more robust decentralized applications, enabling new use cases and driving broader adoption of blockchain technology across various industries.


s depicted in the image above, the TEE unit on a light client can act as a modular unit of verification and provide cryptographic trust in the system. They are ideal for off-chain work while ensuring uncompromised output.

An example of this is an MEV auction carried out in the TEEs. There can be more use cases surrounding task-based processing where confidential data can be processed and the result made available on-chain.

# Next Steps

* Understanding the current design of TEEs and identifying what changes light client units require.
* Exploring new use cases and related frameworks necessary to make light clients a suitable fit.

# Conclusion

Light clients and TEEs are at a very early stage. However, with more research and carefully crafted tools, they can help unlock granular computational units, achieving privacy in a trustless manner.