Vitalik Buterin Wants to Replace the EVM — Can Ethereum Survive the Shift?
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a change in the blockchain’s execution layer, suggesting replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) language with RISC-V to improve scalability and efficiency.
The proposal was announced on the Ethereum Magicians forum and has sparked controversy within the crypto community about its feasibility and impact on Ethereum’s long-standing network challenges.
Buterin Plans to Rewire Ethereum’s Core
Buterin’s focus is the present Ethereum’s execution layer, where the EVM currently processes smart contracts by executing bytecode.
The EVM is integral to Ethereum’s decentralized applications and faces scalability issues, including high gas fees and network congestion. RISC-V, an open-standard instruction set architecture known for its efficiency and flexibility, is seen as a better replacement for the EVM’s bytecode system.
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According to Buterin, this shift would retain the core smart contract features—such as accounts, storage, and cross-contract calls—while rewriting opcodes like SLOAD and CALL into syscalls within a RISC-V framework.
The transition is seen as a long-term strategy to keep Ethereum competitive with high-throughput blockchains like Solana.
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By adopting RISC-V, Ethereum aims to improve data availability sampling, maintain competitive block production, and improve the efficiency of zero-knowledge proofs, which are important for scaling layer-2 solutions and scaling privacy features.
Big Changes, Bigger Challenges for Ethereum
Transitioning to RISC-V would mean key changes across Ethereum’s ecosystem. Smart contract languages like Solidity would need to compile to RISC-V instead of EVM bytecode, which could speed execution and resource utilization.
Buterin sees this as another opportunity to scale Ethereum’s execution layer, particularly for zero-knowledge EVM proving, which would restrict computational overhead.
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However, the proposal is set out in “radical” and “ambitious” terms, and it poses stern challenges. Maintenance of backward compatibility for deployed smart contracts and dApps is the highest priority, as is ensuring developers adapt to new frameworks and tools.
Getting consensus from Ethereum’s decentralized stakeholders for such a radical change would also likely be problematic, including extensive testing and coordination.
Will Ethereum Embrace RISC-V? Community Reacts
The crypto community has reacted with a mix of optimism and caution. The proposal by Buterin is said to be in line with prior discussions on RISC-V, including an October 2024 X post by the Ethereum co-founder stating its role in Ethereum’s formal verification roadmap.
This continuity is a sign of a strategic approach, though the proposal’s practicality remains under scrutiny.
Developers and stakeholders are expected to continue debate on the pros and cons on platforms like Ethereum Magicians, with no immediate timeline for implementation.
As Ethereum explores this potential transformation, the proposal demonstrates its ongoing commitment to addressing scalability while preserving decentralization.
A successful shift to RISC-V could strengthen Ethereum’s position as a leading blockchain platform, but the community awaits further technical details and stakeholder support to move forward.
