Ethereum still has its scalability issue. It can only handle 14-15 TPS. On the other hand, newer L1s can process up to 100k TPS or even more.
Now, Vitalik Buterin considers switching from EVM language to a RISC-V-based architecture. This could increase chain efficiency by 100x. So, what are the EVM and RISC-V, and why would it improve Ethereum?
What Are EVM and RISC-V?
The EVM is the Ethereum Virtual Machine. It allows developers to install their dApps. EVM is also Turing complete. This means that a blockchain can execute any computable function. So, smart contracts, even complex ones, and dApps can function.
Tomasz K. Stańczak, Co-Executive Director at the Ethereum Foundation, said that they will free more of Vitalik’s time for research and exploration, rather than day‑to‑day coordination or crisis response. They are concentrating on Layer 1 scaling, support for Layer 2 scaling, and…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 21, 2025
RISC-V does something similar to EVM, however, much simpler. It can increase efficiency by a factor of 100. Ethereum will become more scalable. In turn, this could lead to cheaper transactions. RISC-V will also improve ZK efficiency.
Currently, EVM turns out to be a very inefficient ISA for ZK proving. ISA stands for instruction set architecture. So, the Ethereum community is discussing this change. Buterin posted this idea in a forum post on the Ethereum Magicians forum on the 20th of April.
However, as it turns out, Polkadot is already RISC-V. It’s also important to point out that RISC-V is open source. In the X post below, you can find an easy comparison between EVM and RISC-V.
Polkadot RISC-V + PolkaVM
Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, recently proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) language with a RISC-V-based architecture. This proposal could fundamentally change how on-chain applications are executed. But while this idea is… pic.twitter.com/aNv7fmG4Em
— NRL (@nrlartt) April 21, 2025
In case you read the post, it compares EVM and RISC-V to kitchen machines. EVM is a complex machine. It can do a lot, however, it’s slow and inefficient. In the meantime, you only need two simple functions, like chopping or mixing.
On the other hand, RISC-V is compact and efficient. It has fewer parts, is efficient, and faster. So, to sum up, this is what RISC-V can bring to the table:
- Faster execution.
- Simpler architecture.
- 100x+ better for zk-proving.
- Seriously reduced transaction fees.
- Built-to-scale modular ecosystems.
This would make Ethereum more competitive against chains like Solana and Sui. Since those are the chains to which Ethereum is currently losing out. At the same time, the Ethereum Foundation tries to free more of Buterin’s time for research.
Our discussions about the Layer 1 scaling roadmap have been extensive, and the feedback so far suggests that the community appreciates our ambition. Turning that ambition into reality now depends on the focus of the core development teams and researchers.
Following the recent…
— Tomasz K. Stańczak (@tkstanczak) April 20, 2025
Conclusion
Vitalik Buterin came up with a new idea to improve scalability for Ethereum. He wants to change from EVM to RISC-V. Polkadot already uses this concept. The Ethereum community is in the middle of discussing this idea.
The current $ETH price is $1,583 with a $191 billion market cap. The total and circulating supply are 120.7 million $ETH tokens. However, there’s an infinite supply.
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