> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://battlezips.gitbook.io/battlezips/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://battlezips.gitbook.io/battlezips/theory/primitives/merkle-trees/incremental-merkle-trees.md).

# Incremental Merkle Trees

## How do Incremental Merkle Trees differ from standard ones?

Standard Merkle Trees require that they need to be complete. That is they must have a value for every single node so that the transaction root can be properly constructed. Incremental Merkle Trees however construct themselves so that there can be 0 values for nodes as well as hash values

<figure><img src="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342969698/figure/fig1/AS:913883195797505@1594898141827/Illustration-of-the-incremental-Merkle-tree-algorithm-Node-numbers-are-labeled-in-the.png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Drawbacks

Incremental Merkle Trees allow for easy appending of data but make it impossible to update existing leaves