Ethereum expands on Bitcoin’s use of Merkle Trees by implementing a more complex variant called the Merkle Patricia Tree.
State Management
Merkle Patricia Trees stores and verifies account states, including balances, contract codes, and storage, enabling efficient state verification at any given time.
Transaction Verification
Similar to Bitcoin, Ethereum uses Merkle Patricia Trees to organize and verify block transactions.
Smart Contract Execution
Merkle Trees play a crucial role in managing and verifying state changes resulting from smart contract executions, ensuring accuracy and tamper-resistance.