diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/BUILD.bazel
index 90ab3929a44b..f37e579618f2 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/BUILD.bazel
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ go_library(
         "gloas.go",
         "hasher.go",
         "log.go",
+        "merkle_layers.go",
         "multi_value_slices.go",
         "proofs.go",
         "readonly_validator.go",
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/beacon_state.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/beacon_state.go
index 2ebd9ebc6797..5d2c2ca39f74 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/beacon_state.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/beacon_state.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ type BeaconState struct {
 	stateFieldLeaves      map[types.FieldIndex]*fieldtrie.FieldTrie
 	rebuildTrie           map[types.FieldIndex]bool
 	valMapHandler         *stateutil.ValidatorMapHandler
-	merkleLayers          [][][]byte
+	merkle                *sharedMerkleLayers
 	sharedFieldReferences map[types.FieldIndex]*stateutil.Reference
 }
 
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/merkle_layers.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/merkle_layers.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ab9ebe225f7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/merkle_layers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package state_native
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/OffchainLabs/prysm/v7/beacon-chain/state/stateutil"
+)
+
+// sharedMerkleLayers wraps the beacon state's top-level Merkle tree layers with
+// reference counting so that Copy can share them instead of deep-copying.
+// All access is protected by the owning BeaconState's lock. This struct does
+// not carry its own mutex.
+type sharedMerkleLayers struct {
+	layers [][][]byte
+	ref    *stateutil.Reference
+	mu     sync.Mutex
+}
+
+// newSharedMerkleLayers wraps existing layers in a ref-counted container.
+func newSharedMerkleLayers(layers [][][]byte) *sharedMerkleLayers {
+	return &sharedMerkleLayers{
+		layers: layers,
+		ref:    stateutil.NewRef(1),
+	}
+}
+
+// copy increments the reference count and returns the same pointer, making
+// BeaconState.Copy O(1) for this field. The caller must call ensureUnique
+// before mutating the layers.
+func (s *sharedMerkleLayers) copy() *sharedMerkleLayers {
+	s.ref.AddRef()
+	return s
+}
+
+// ensureUnique deep-copies the layers if this instance is shared (refs > 1)
+// and returns the (possibly new) sharedMerkleLayers to use. The caller must
+// replace its field with the returned value:
+//
+// b.merkle = b.merkle.ensureUnique()
+func (s *sharedMerkleLayers) ensureUnique() *sharedMerkleLayers {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if s.ref.Refs() == 1 {
+		return s
+	}
+
+	// Shared. Deep-copy and detach.
+	s.ref.MinusRef()
+
+	newLayers := make([][][]byte, len(s.layers))
+	for i, layer := range s.layers {
+		newLayers[i] = make([][]byte, len(layer))
+		for j, content := range layer {
+			newLayers[i][j] = make([]byte, len(content))
+			copy(newLayers[i][j], content)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return newSharedMerkleLayers(newLayers)
+}
+
+// release decrements the reference count. Called during finalizer cleanup.
+func (s *sharedMerkleLayers) release() {
+	s.ref.MinusRef()
+}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/proofs.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/proofs.go
index 11243f7543b4..4bc9612e7e6e 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/proofs.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/proofs.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (b *BeaconState) proofByFieldIndex(ctx context.Context, f types.FieldIndex)
 	if err := b.recomputeDirtyFields(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return trie.ProofFromMerkleLayers(b.merkleLayers, f.RealPosition()), nil
+	return trie.ProofFromMerkleLayers(b.merkle.layers, f.RealPosition()), nil
 }
 
 func (b *BeaconState) validateFieldIndex(f types.FieldIndex) error {
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/setters_misc.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/setters_misc.go
index 4a45081878d9..74489da61984 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/setters_misc.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/setters_misc.go
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ func (b *BeaconState) AppendHistoricalSummaries(summary *ethpb.HistoricalSummary
 // hold the lock before calling this method.
 func (b *BeaconState) recomputeRoot(idx int) {
 	hashFunc := hash.CustomSHA256Hasher()
-	layers := b.merkleLayers
+	layers := b.merkle.layers
 	// The merkle tree structure looks as follows:
 	// [[r1, r2, r3, r4], [parent1, parent2], [root]]
 	// Using information about the index which changed, idx, we recompute
 	// only its branch up the tree.
 	currentIndex := idx
-	root := b.merkleLayers[0][idx]
+	root := layers[0][idx]
 	for i := 0; i < len(layers)-1; i++ {
 		isLeft := currentIndex%2 == 0
 		neighborIdx := currentIndex ^ 1
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ func (b *BeaconState) recomputeRoot(idx int) {
 		layers[i+1][parentIdx] = root
 		currentIndex = parentIdx
 	}
-	b.merkleLayers = layers
 }
 
 func (b *BeaconState) markFieldAsDirty(field types.FieldIndex) {
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_test.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_test.go
index e6e26266740e..7147a07e5742 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_test.go
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func TestBeaconState_AppendBalanceWithTrie(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	_, err = st.HashTreeRoot(t.Context())
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	newRt := bytesutil.ToBytes32(st.merkleLayers[0][types.Balances])
+	newRt := bytesutil.ToBytes32(st.merkle.layers[0][types.Balances])
 	wantedRt, err := stateutil.Uint64ListRootWithRegistryLimit(st.Balances())
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, wantedRt, newRt, "state roots are unequal")
diff --git a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_trie.go b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_trie.go
index ba4091556cd2..e43a0b8fa7ee 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_trie.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/state/state-native/state_trie.go
@@ -1031,18 +1031,12 @@ func (b *BeaconState) Copy() state.BeaconState {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if b.merkleLayers != nil {
-		dst.merkleLayers = make([][][]byte, len(b.merkleLayers))
-		for i, layer := range b.merkleLayers {
-			dst.merkleLayers[i] = make([][]byte, len(layer))
-			for j, content := range layer {
-				dst.merkleLayers[i][j] = make([]byte, len(content))
-				copy(dst.merkleLayers[i][j], content)
-			}
-		}
+	if b.merkle != nil {
+		dst.merkle = b.merkle.copy()
 	}
 
 	state.Count.Inc()
+
 	// Finalizer runs when dst is being destroyed in garbage collection.
 	runtime.SetFinalizer(dst, finalizerCleanup)
 	return dst
@@ -1062,14 +1056,14 @@ func (b *BeaconState) HashTreeRoot(ctx context.Context) ([32]byte, error) {
 	if err := b.recomputeDirtyFields(ctx); err != nil {
 		return [32]byte{}, err
 	}
-	return bytesutil.ToBytes32(b.merkleLayers[len(b.merkleLayers)-1][0]), nil
+	return bytesutil.ToBytes32(b.merkle.layers[len(b.merkle.layers)-1][0]), nil
 }
 
 // Initializes the Merkle layers for the beacon state if they are empty.
 //
 // WARNING: Caller must acquire the mutex before using.
 func (b *BeaconState) initializeMerkleLayers(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if len(b.merkleLayers) > 0 {
+	if b.merkle != nil && len(b.merkle.layers) > 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	fieldRoots, err := ComputeFieldRootsWithHasher(ctx, b)
@@ -1077,7 +1071,7 @@ func (b *BeaconState) initializeMerkleLayers(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	layers := stateutil.Merkleize(fieldRoots)
-	b.merkleLayers = layers
+	b.merkle = newSharedMerkleLayers(layers)
 	switch b.version {
 	case version.Phase0:
 		b.dirtyFields = make(map[types.FieldIndex]bool, params.BeaconConfig().BeaconStateFieldCount)
@@ -1106,13 +1100,17 @@ func (b *BeaconState) initializeMerkleLayers(ctx context.Context) error {
 //
 // WARNING: Caller must acquire the mutex before using.
 func (b *BeaconState) recomputeDirtyFields(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if len(b.dirtyFields) > 0 {
+		b.merkle = b.merkle.ensureUnique()
+	}
+
 	for field := range b.dirtyFields {
 		root, err := b.rootSelector(ctx, field)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		idx := field.RealPosition()
-		b.merkleLayers[0][idx] = root[:]
+		b.merkle.layers[0][idx] = root[:]
 		b.recomputeRoot(idx)
 		delete(b.dirtyFields, field)
 	}
@@ -1473,6 +1471,9 @@ func finalizerCleanup(b *BeaconState) {
 	if b.validatorsMultiValue != nil {
 		b.validatorsMultiValue.Detach(b)
 	}
+	if b.merkle != nil {
+		b.merkle.release()
+	}
 
 	state.Count.Sub(1)
 }
diff --git a/changelog/manu-copy-on-write.md b/changelog/manu-copy-on-write.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b843727ca7d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/manu-copy-on-write.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+### Changed
+- Defer deep copy of merkle layers until mutation via lazy copy-on-write.