# An alternative to trailing state root One of the proposals to take away the state root computation of the execution payload from the hot path (attesters need to compute the state root to validate the block before the attesting deadline) is to change the commitment of the payload: instead of committing to the post state root, the block will commit to the prestate root. In this case, attesters don't need to compute the state root before the attestation deadline, they just need to validate everything else on execution (including the prestate root). The proposer (and the next slot attesters) have time until the next slot to compute the state root. ## Comes ePBS Here is an alternative that does not require changes in the execution layer. We ship ePBS with a PTC as currently specified, the only change is that **the PTC is not required to validate the payload**. The PTC only attests to the existence of the payload with the right hash and in a timely fashion. The proposer of the next slot has about 6 seconds to compute the state root and check data availability. This goes down from the current 8-10 seconds to do the same, but still remains away from the hot path. On the other hand, crucially for attesters, they now have 9 seconds to compute the state root (until their own attestation deadline is 3 seconds into the slot, plus the 6 seconds since the payload reveal) instead of the current less than 2 seconds in the hot path. ## Forkchoice considerations Since the votes on the slot only attest to the consensus block, regardless of the validity of the execution payload of the slot, an invalid state root on the payload does not affect the LMD status of the forkchoice node. Validators will only apply the builder's boost in case the PTC has achieved consensus **and** the payload was validated.