Alpha and hotkey storage maps accumulate persistent zero-valued entries #2398
Description
Alpha and hotkey storage maps accumulate persistent zero-valued entries
Summary
Coldkey and hotkey swap logic inserts zero-valued entries into Alpha-related storage maps, which persist indefinitely.
Problem
- Zero-valued entries are inserted without checks.
- Entries persist unless explicitly cleaned by stake activity.
- A significant portion of Alpha storage contains zero values.
Evidence
- ~52% of Alpha entries are zero-valued.
- A single coldkey swap produced ~18k zero entries.
- Fetching Alpha requires ~150MB of keys.
Expected Outcome
- Zero-valued entries should not be inserted.
- Existing zero entries should be purged during a runtime upgrade.
- Storage size and query performance should improve.
Context
Filed at the request of Rhef for tracking and prioritization.