In @Plasma networks, state pruning is an essential housekeeping task. In order to keep the sidechain small and effective, it refers to the procedure of permanently removing outdated, spent transaction data. Without it, the Plasma chain would eventually grow too big, which would slow down performance and raise prices for new users who would have to download a lot of historical data.
Effective pruning is crucial for long-term scalability. It guarantees that the #Plasma sidechain maintains its fundamental value proposition as a quick and inexpensive transaction environment. But it needs to be done with caution. In order to balance chain efficiency with user security, users must be given enough time to withdraw or contest transactions before relevant data is pruned. Plasma networks can scale sustainably for years when state pruning is applied properly.

$XPL