SPV nodes
Alternatively, nodes can store only a part of the blockchain and still be able to verify transactions. Such nodes are called lightweight nodes and they use SPV. This is a top-down approach.
SPV nodes keep just the block headers of all blocks, which takes a small fraction of the storage space required for the full blockchain. To verify a transaction, they check the blocks to find out where the specific transaction belongs and then make sure there are at least six blocks built on top of that block. In this way, lightweight nodes rely on the work done by full nodes as a proof that the transaction being verified is in order and has not been double spent. Lightweight nodes effectively verify transactions by checking the Proof-of-Work ...
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