Vitalik Buterin Proposes RISC-V Replacement for Ethereum’s EVM to Boost Performance

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has suggested replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture, to enhance the network’s execution layer. This proposal, shared on the Ethereum Magicians forum, highlights potential improvements in performance and simplicity for Ethereum’s smart contract execution.

Vitalik Buterin Proposes Replacing Ethereum’s EVM with RISC-V

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture. In a post shared on the Ethereum Magicians forum, Buterin argued that the switch could drastically improve the performance and simplicity of Ethereum’s execution layer. The EVM is responsible for executing smart contract code across the Ethereum network, but its limitations have become a long-term bottleneck for scaling. By replacing it with RISC-V, which is already used in zero-knowledge EVMs, Buterin believes there could be massive improvements in proving efficiency, particularly for zero-knowledge-based scaling.

Ethereum Foundation’s New Co-Executive Responds to Vitalik Buterin’s RISC-V Proposal

Ethereum Foundation’s new co-executive director Tomasz K. Stańczak has commented on Vitalik Buterin’s latest proposal to replace the Ethereum Virtual Machine with RISC-V for improved long-term scalability. Stańczak noted that under the change in leadership, the Foundation will focus on Layer 1 scaling, Layer 2 support, optimizing user experience, and interoperability. This includes improvements under upcoming protocol upgrades such as Pectra, Fusaka, and Glamsterdam.

Vitalik Buterin Proposes Replacing EVM with RISC-V on Ethereum

Vitalik Buterin has proposed a long-term overhaul to Ethereum’s execution environment, suggesting the replacement of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, a standardized and extensible instruction set architecture. The proposal, shared in the Ethereum Magicians forum on April 20, outlines a multi-phase shift aimed at improving proving efficiency and simplifying the execution layer without altering CORE abstractions like accounts, storage, or cross-contract calls. If implemented, Solidity and Vyper would remain the primary development languages, adapted to compile to RISC-V. While writing contracts directly in Rust is technically feasible, concerns over readability and developer familiarity with existing languages suggest Rust will not replace Solidity at the application layer.

Ethereum Faces Major Overhaul with RISC-V Transition Proposal by Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, has proposed a significant shift in the network’s core technology stack. He introduced the idea of replacing Ethereum’s existing virtual machine (EVM) with a new execution environment built on the RISC-V instruction set architecture. This proposed change aims to improve performance and future-proof the network, making it faster, leaner, and more flexible. However, such a transition could take years and require rebuilding the core infrastructure from scratch. Meanwhile, base-layer transaction and blob fees have dropped sharply as users migrate to layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism.