In a bold move that could reshape Ethereum’s future, co-founder Buterin has proposed swapping out the blockchain’s engine for something entirely different.
Posted on the Ethereum Magicians forum in April 2025, Buterin suggested replacing the current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V architecture – an open-source, royalty-free instruction set that defines how hardware and software communicate.
Ethereum’s next evolution might run on RISC-V architecture, potentially supercharging the network with transformative processing power.
Think of it like replacing a reliable but aging car engine with a newer, more efficient model.
The current EVM has been identified as a bottleneck in Ethereum’s scaling journey – like trying to run a modern smartphone app on a decade-old processor.
By switching to RISC-V, Ethereum could potentially achieve efficiency gains of up to 100x in some scenarios.
This matters particularly for zero-knowledge proofs, the cryptographic magic behind much of Ethereum’s scaling efforts.
Current ZK-EVM implementations spend over half their processing power just on EVM execution – a bit like using half your car’s fuel just to start the engine.
RISC-V’s streamlined architecture could dramatically reduce this overhead.
For users and developers, the change would be largely invisible under the hood.
Popular languages like Solidity would still work, just targeting RISC-V instead.
Legacy contracts would remain operational through compatibility measures.
It’s like upgrading your computer’s processor – your familiar programs still run, just faster.
The potential benefits include faster transaction processing, lower fees, and improved competitiveness against newer blockchains like Solana.
RISC-V’s open nature also aligns perfectly with blockchain’s decentralized ethos.
This proposal comes at a time when Solana has demonstrated impressive capabilities with transaction throughput of up to 65,000 transactions per second using its own innovative consensus mechanisms.
Not everyone’s convinced, though.
Critics point to the massive technical challenge – it’s no simple engine swap – and questions about how this fits with Ethereum’s existing Layer 2 scaling strategy.
Some wonder if the gains justify the effort.
The timing of this proposal coincides with Ethereum facing its lowest transaction fee revenue in five years, adding urgency to find solutions that could revitalize on-chain activity.
The implementation process may introduce compatibility issues that could temporarily disrupt the ecosystem during the transition period.
Whether this radical proposal becomes reality remains to be seen, but it signals Ethereum’s willingness to reinvent itself to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.
