diff --git a/src/merkle/store/mod.rs b/src/merkle/store/mod.rs
index d78be59..f77d558 100644
--- a/src/merkle/store/mod.rs
+++ b/src/merkle/store/mod.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ use super::{
     MerklePathSet, MerkleTree, NodeIndex, RecordingMap, RootPath, Rpo256, RpoDigest, SimpleSmt,
     TieredSmt, ValuePath, Vec,
 };
-use crate::utils::{ByteReader, ByteWriter, Deserializable, DeserializationError, Serializable};
+use crate::utils::{
+    collections::{ApplyDiff, Diff, KvMapDiff},
+    ByteReader, ByteWriter, Deserializable, DeserializationError, Serializable,
+};
 use core::borrow::Borrow;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -474,6 +477,24 @@ impl<T: KvMap<RpoDigest, StoreNode>> Extend<InnerNodeInfo> for MerkleStore<T> {
     }
 }
 
+// DiffT & ApplyDiffT TRAIT IMPLEMENTATION
+// ================================================================================================
+impl<T: KvMap<RpoDigest, StoreNode>> Diff<RpoDigest, StoreNode> for MerkleStore<T> {
+    type DiffType = KvMapDiff<RpoDigest, StoreNode>;
+
+    fn diff(&self, other: &Self) -> Self::DiffType {
+        self.nodes.diff(&other.nodes)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: KvMap<RpoDigest, StoreNode>> ApplyDiff<RpoDigest, StoreNode> for MerkleStore<T> {
+    type DiffType = KvMapDiff<RpoDigest, StoreNode>;
+
+    fn apply(&mut self, diff: Self::DiffType) {
+        self.nodes.apply(diff);
+    }
+}
+
 // SERIALIZATION
 // ================================================================================================
 
diff --git a/src/utils/diff.rs b/src/utils/diff.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48c80b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/diff.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/// A trait for computing the difference between two objects.
+pub trait Diff<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> {
+    type DiffType;
+
+    /// Returns a `Self::DiffType` object that represents the difference between this object and
+    /// other.
+    fn diff(&self, other: &Self) -> Self::DiffType;
+}
+
+/// A trait for applying the difference between two objects.
+pub trait ApplyDiff<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> {
+    type DiffType;
+
+    /// Applies the provided changes described by [DiffType] to the object implementing this trait.
+    fn apply(&mut self, diff: Self::DiffType);
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/kv_map.rs b/src/utils/kv_map.rs
index d9b453d..063a0a0 100644
--- a/src/utils/kv_map.rs
+++ b/src/utils/kv_map.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use super::{collections::ApplyDiff, diff::Diff};
 use core::cell::RefCell;
 use winter_utils::{
     collections::{btree_map::IntoIter, BTreeMap, BTreeSet},
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ pub trait KvMap<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone>:
         self.len() == 0
     }
     fn insert(&mut self, key: K, value: V) -> Option<V>;
+    fn remove(&mut self, key: &K) -> Option<V>;
 
     fn iter(&self) -> Box<dyn Iterator<Item = (&K, &V)> + '_>;
 }
@@ -42,6 +44,10 @@ impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> KvMap<K, V> for BTreeMap<K, V> {
         self.insert(key, value)
     }
 
+    fn remove(&mut self, key: &K) -> Option<V> {
+        self.remove(key)
+    }
+
     fn iter(&self) -> Box<dyn Iterator<Item = (&K, &V)> + '_> {
         Box::new(self.iter())
     }
@@ -56,8 +62,9 @@ impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> KvMap<K, V> for BTreeMap<K, V> {
 ///
 /// The [RecordingMap] is composed of three parts:
 /// - `data`: which contains the current set of key-value pairs in the map.
-/// - `updates`: which tracks keys for which values have been since the map was instantiated.
-///   updates include both insertions and updates of values under existing keys.
+/// - `updates`: which tracks keys for which values have been changed since the map was
+///    instantiated. updates include both insertions, removals and updates of values under existing
+///    keys.
 /// - `trace`: which contains the key-value pairs from the original data which have been accesses
 ///   since the map was instantiated.
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
@@ -80,6 +87,13 @@ impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> RecordingMap<K, V> {
         }
     }
 
+    // PUBLIC ACCESSORS
+    // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    pub fn inner(&self) -> &BTreeMap<K, V> {
+        &self.data
+    }
+
     // FINALIZER
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -148,6 +162,19 @@ impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone> KvMap<K, V> for RecordingMap<K, V> {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Removes a key-value pair from the data set.
+    ///
+    /// If the key exists in the data set, the old value is returned.
+    fn remove(&mut self, key: &K) -> Option<V> {
+        self.data.remove(key).map(|old_value| {
+            let new_update = self.updates.insert(key.clone());
+            if new_update {
+                self.trace.borrow_mut().insert(key.clone(), old_value.clone());
+            }
+            old_value
+        })
+    }
+
     // ITERATION
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -180,6 +207,74 @@ impl<K: Clone + Ord, V: Clone> IntoIterator for RecordingMap<K, V> {
     }
 }
 
+// KV MAP DIFF
+// ================================================================================================
+/// [KvMapDiff] stores the difference between two key-value maps.
+///
+/// The [KvMapDiff] is composed of two parts:
+/// - `updates` - a map of key-value pairs that were updated in the second map compared to the
+///               first map. This includes new key-value pairs.
+/// - `removed` - a set of keys that were removed from the second map compared to the first map.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct KvMapDiff<K, V> {
+    updated: BTreeMap<K, V>,
+    removed: BTreeSet<K>,
+}
+
+impl<K, V> KvMapDiff<K, V> {
+    // CONSTRUCTOR
+    // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    /// Creates a new [KvMapDiff] instance.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        KvMapDiff {
+            updated: BTreeMap::new(),
+            removed: BTreeSet::new(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<K, V> Default for KvMapDiff<K, V> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone + PartialEq, T: KvMap<K, V>> Diff<K, V> for T {
+    type DiffType = KvMapDiff<K, V>;
+
+    fn diff(&self, other: &T) -> Self::DiffType {
+        let mut diff = KvMapDiff::default();
+        for (k, v) in self.iter() {
+            if let Some(other_value) = other.get(k) {
+                if v != other_value {
+                    diff.updated.insert(k.clone(), other_value.clone());
+                }
+            } else {
+                diff.removed.insert(k.clone());
+            }
+        }
+        for (k, v) in other.iter() {
+            if self.get(k).is_none() {
+                diff.updated.insert(k.clone(), v.clone());
+            }
+        }
+        diff
+    }
+}
+
+impl<K: Ord + Clone, V: Clone, T: KvMap<K, V>> ApplyDiff<K, V> for T {
+    type DiffType = KvMapDiff<K, V>;
+
+    fn apply(&mut self, diff: Self::DiffType) {
+        for (k, v) in diff.updated {
+            self.insert(k, v);
+        }
+        for k in diff.removed {
+            self.remove(&k);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // TESTS
 // ================================================================================================
 
@@ -321,4 +416,87 @@ mod tests {
         let map = RecordingMap::new(ITEMS.to_vec());
         assert!(!map.is_empty());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_remove() {
+        let mut map = RecordingMap::new(ITEMS.to_vec());
+
+        // remove an item that exists
+        let key = 0;
+        let value = map.remove(&key).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(value, ITEMS[0].1);
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), ITEMS.len() - 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.trace_len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.updates_len(), 1);
+
+        // add the item back and then remove it again
+        let key = 0;
+        let value = 0;
+        map.insert(key, value);
+        let value = map.remove(&key).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(value, 0);
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), ITEMS.len() - 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.trace_len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.updates_len(), 1);
+
+        // remove an item that does not exist
+        let key = 100;
+        let value = map.remove(&key);
+        assert_eq!(value, None);
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), ITEMS.len() - 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.trace_len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.updates_len(), 1);
+
+        // insert a new item and then remove it
+        let key = 100;
+        let value = 100;
+        map.insert(key, value);
+        let value = map.remove(&key).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(value, 100);
+        assert_eq!(map.len(), ITEMS.len() - 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.trace_len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(map.updates_len(), 2);
+
+        // convert the map into a proof
+        let proof = map.into_proof();
+
+        // check that the proof contains the expected values
+        for (key, value) in ITEMS.iter() {
+            match key {
+                0 => assert_eq!(proof.get(key), Some(value)),
+                _ => assert_eq!(proof.get(key), None),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_kv_map_diff() {
+        let mut initial_state = ITEMS.into_iter().collect::<BTreeMap<_, _>>();
+        let mut map = RecordingMap::new(initial_state.clone());
+
+        // remove an item that exists
+        let key = 0;
+        let _value = map.remove(&key).unwrap();
+
+        // add a new item
+        let key = 100;
+        let value = 100;
+        map.insert(key, value);
+
+        // update an existing item
+        let key = 1;
+        let value = 100;
+        map.insert(key, value);
+
+        // compute a diff
+        let diff = initial_state.diff(map.inner());
+        assert!(diff.updated.len() == 2);
+        assert!(diff.updated.iter().all(|(k, v)| [(100, 100), (1, 100)].contains(&(*k, *v))));
+        assert!(diff.removed.len() == 1);
+        assert!(diff.removed.first() == Some(&0));
+
+        // apply the diff to the initial state and assert the contents are the same as the map
+        initial_state.apply(diff);
+        assert!(initial_state.iter().eq(map.iter()));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/mod.rs b/src/utils/mod.rs
index 8059d26..d71cd33 100644
--- a/src/utils/mod.rs
+++ b/src/utils/mod.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ pub use alloc::{format, vec};
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 pub use std::{format, vec};
 
+mod diff;
 mod kv_map;
 
 // RE-EXPORTS
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ pub use winter_utils::{
 };
 
 pub mod collections {
+    pub use super::diff::*;
     pub use super::kv_map::*;
     pub use winter_utils::collections::*;
 }