Vitalik Buterin has presented a bold idea to improve Ethereum. He shared the plan on the Ethereum Magicians forum. His goal is to scale the execution layer by changing how smart contracts run.
He wants to replace Ethereum’s current EVM bytecode with the open-source RISC-V architecture. This change could lead to faster and cheaper transactions. Buterin explained that RISC-V might help Ethereum achieve better performance.
He believes it could lower the cost of executing transactions by up to 100 times. He chose RISC-V because it is open-source and has advantages over other architectures like ARM and x86. This plan could help Ethereum support more users without slowing down.
Ethereum will support existing smart contracts
He also addressed concerns about existing smart contracts. Ethereum would still support them. Old contracts written in EVM would work alongside the new RISC-V contracts. They would be fully compatible.
Buterin proposed building an interpreter to translate EVM contracts into RISC-V. This step would avoid the need for a major change that might disrupt the network. Other projects in the blockchain space have also looked at RISC-V. For example, Polkadot introduced PolkaVM in 2023.
That system supports multiple virtual machines, much like Buterin’s plan. Instead of forcing all contracts to change, it allows both old and new to work together. Buterin called his proposal “radical” and “ambitious.” He believes it is the best long-term solution to make Ethereum faster and more efficient.
Potential to redefine Ethereum’s future
He said the network needs more than just small improvements. A big change like this may be the only way to achieve major gains in scalability. Ethereum will continue to work on short-term improvements. A major update, called Pectra, is scheduled for May 7.
It will improve the user experience and make rollups more efficient. It will also increase the limit for validator stakes. Buterin’s RISC-V proposal looks further ahead and aims to change the core of Ethereum’s execution.
This proposal is still in the early stages. Developers and community members will need to review it. The change would take time and careful planning. But if received, it could shape the future of Ethereum and set a new standard for blockchain design.
