diff --git a/core/genesis.go b/core/genesis.go
index d438808e8f..60c2f9a8bc 100644
--- a/core/genesis.go
+++ b/core/genesis.go
@@ -421,13 +421,15 @@ func (g *Genesis) configOrDefault(ghash common.Hash) *params.ChainConfig {
 	}
 }
 
-func (g *Genesis) isVerkle() bool {
+// IsVerkle indicates whether the state is already stored in a verkle
+// tree at genesis time.
+func (g *Genesis) IsVerkle() bool {
 	return g.Config.IsVerkle(new(big.Int).SetUint64(g.Number), g.Timestamp)
 }
 
 // ToBlock returns the genesis block according to genesis specification.
 func (g *Genesis) ToBlock() *types.Block {
-	root, err := g.Alloc.hash(g.isVerkle())
+	root, err := g.Alloc.hash(g.IsVerkle())
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/core/state/database.go b/core/state/database.go
index ada643596c..8f9733edf9 100644
--- a/core/state/database.go
+++ b/core/state/database.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie/trienode"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie/utils"
+	"github.com/gballet/go-verkle"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -172,7 +173,19 @@ type cachingDB struct {
 // OpenTrie opens the main account trie at a specific root hash.
 func (db *cachingDB) OpenTrie(root common.Hash) (Trie, error) {
 	if db.triedb.IsVerkle() {
-		return trie.NewVerkleTrie(nil, db.triedb, utils.NewPointCache(), true)
+		reader, err := db.triedb.Reader(root)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get node reader in OpenTrie: %w", err)
+		}
+		verklerootbytes, err := reader.Node(common.Hash{}, nil, common.Hash{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get serialized root node in OpenTrie: %w", err)
+		}
+		verkleroot, err := verkle.ParseNode(verklerootbytes, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to deserialize root node in OpenTrie: %w", err)
+		}
+		return trie.NewVerkleTrie(verkleroot, db.triedb, utils.NewPointCache(), true)
 	}
 	tr, err := trie.NewStateTrie(trie.StateTrieID(root), db.triedb)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/trie/verkle.go b/trie/verkle.go
index c7ba7cbfdc..c10dee3f3d 100644
--- a/trie/verkle.go
+++ b/trie/verkle.go
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ func (trie *VerkleTrie) Copy() *VerkleTrie {
 	}
 }
 
+// IsVerkle indicates if the trie is a Verkle trie.
 func (trie *VerkleTrie) IsVerkle() bool {
 	return true
 }