Bitcoin Core Transaction Index Shrinks by 40GB

A recent update to Bitcoin Core has led to a significant reduction in the size of its optional transaction index, also known as -txindex. This change resulted in a 40 GB decrease in database size for one contributor's mainnet test.

The redesign was merged into the master branch on August 15th and is now available upstream. The updated code reduces the author's rebuilt mainnet txindex from approximately 66 GB to 26 GB, representing a roughly 61% reduction.

However, it's essential for operators to note that they will need to rebuild their database to capture the full savings. Those who upgrade using -txindex will retain their existing indexes through this process.