Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a potential architectural change to the Ethereum network that could significantly improve its performance. Buterin suggested replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture.
In a blog post published on May 3,According to Buterin, using RISC-V could eliminate some of the translation layers currently required to execute applications on Ethereum. This reduction in computational overhead could improve processing speed and efficiency, with the potential to make operations up to 100 times faster in certain contexts.
RISC-V is a hardware-level standard that enables software to communicate more directly with the execution layer. Unlike the EVM, which was specifically designed for Ethereum, RISC-V is widely used in computing systems and benefits from a broader ecosystem of tools and community support.
Buterin noted that such a transition could also simplify Ethereum’s design, bringing it closer in operational simplicity to networks like Bitcoin. Additionally, it may help reduce infrastructure costs and limit the risk of software bugs or vulnerabilities due to a more mature and standardized execution environment.
However, the proposal raises important considerations. Switching to RISC-V would likely break backward compatibility, meaning existing smart contracts and developer tools would need to be reworked. Developers would also require retraining to adapt to the new execution model.
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Some industry analysts have expressed cautious support for the idea. Thad Pinakiewicz of Galaxy Research stated that Ethereum’s continued relevance depends on its technical foundation, not just market trends.
At this stage, the proposal is exploratory and not part of Ethereum’s official roadmap. Any transition would require extensive community discussion, technical evaluation, and regulatory consideration before implementation.