Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode with the open-source RISC-V architecture to improve the scalability of Ethereum's execution layer. In a post on the Ethereum Magicians forum, Buterin described this "radical" idea as potentially the only viable path to significantly reduce on-chain transaction costs—possibly by up to 100 times in certain scenarios.
Buterin emphasized that existing EVM contracts would remain fully compatible with new RISC-V contracts, allowing both systems to function together. He also proposed developing a special interpreter to facilitate this transition. The move could greatly simplify and enhance the efficiency of Ethereum’s execution layer, and notably, it could be implemented without requiring a major hard fork.
As Ethereum explores this structural shift, the upcoming “Pectra” upgrade—scheduled for May 7—aims to improve user experience, enhance rollup scalability, and increase validator staking limits.
