
Ethereum News Today: Vitalik Buterin Proposes RISC-V Upgrade to Replace EVM
In a recent post on the Ethereum Magicians forum, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture. This move could significantly improve the network’s scalability, efficiency, and simplicity, particularly for zero-knowledge applications.
The current EVM architecture is limited in its ability to handle complex applications and zero-knowledge proofs, which has led Buterin to conclude that transitioning to RISC-V is the only viable option to simplify and optimize Ethereum’s execution layer. According to him, this change could result in up to 100x improvements in execution efficiency.
RISC-V is widely adopted in both hardware and software industries due to its lightweight, open-source architecture, which makes it an ideal solution for Ethereum’s needs. Zero-knowledge applications (ZK-EVMs) would particularly benefit from this upgrade as they currently dedicate significant computing resources to proving EVM logic.
Buterin outlined three potential routes for implementing the RISC-V integration: native support for both EVM and RISC-V contracts, running EVM contracts through a RISC-V-based interpreter, or making interpreters a formal part of Ethereum’s protocol. He emphasized that this proposal marks one of the most significant shifts in Ethereum’s technical roadmap.
As the Ethereum network continues to evolve towards greater scalability, it is essential for the community to engage with Buterin’s proposal and explore potential implementation routes.
The crypto space has witnessed numerous developments recently, including a surge in the ETH price.
Source: https://coinpedia.org/news/ethereum-news-today-vitalik-buterin-proposes-risc-v-upgrade-to-replace-evm/