🧠Vitalik’s Big Idea: Swapping Ethereum’s EVM for RISC-V

Vitalik Buterin just pitched a game-changing idea to swap Ethereum’s core system, the EVM, for RISC-V, making the blockchain faster and cheaper. Let’s unpack this exciting proposal!
⭐Why Change the EVM?
Ethereum’s Virtual Machine (EVM) is like the heart of the blockchain, running smart contracts that power apps like DeFi and NFTs. But it’s getting slow and pricey compared to newer chains like Solana. Vitalik’s idea? Switch to RISC-V, a super-efficient, open-source tech that could make Ethereum zoom.
Quick Explanation: RISC-V is like a lightweight, customizable engine, already used in some blockchains for speed.

💡What’s the Plan?
Here’s the deal: instead of using EVM’s code, smart contracts would run on RISC-V instructions.
Don’t worry, old contracts won’t break! They’ll work alongside new ones. Developers can still use tools like Solidity, but with a faster backend.
The Goal is , to make transactions cheaper and faster, especially for complex stuff like zero-knowledge proofs, which help Ethereum scale.
🎉Why It’s Exciting
- Speed Boost: RISC-V could make some processes up to 100x faster, cutting costs for users.
- Future-Proofing: It tackles Ethereum’s slowdowns, keeping it competitive.
- Open-Source Vibes: RISC-V is free for everyone, aligning with Ethereum’s decentralized spirit.
🔥Fun Fact: This could make Ethereum’s Layer 1 as zippy as some Layer 2 solutions, per Vitalik’s April 20, 2025, post!

⚠️The Catch
RISC-V might struggle with big math operations, slowing some tasks. Plus, updating Ethereum’s tools and apps is a huge job. Some folks might argue it’s better to focus on other fixes, like Layer 2 scaling on rollups, which is currently more loved by the people than Layer 1. It’s a bold move that needs everyone’s buy-in.
🔨How It Could Happen
Vitalik suggests a few paths:
- Run EVM and RISC-V side by side for a smooth switch.
- Use a “translator” so old contracts play nice with RISC-V.
- Slowly phase out EVM as developers adapt.
💡Why It Matters for You
If you’re into Ethereum, whether you’re a developer, investor, or just love DeFi, this could change the game. Faster, cheaper transactions mean more people can use Ethereum’s apps. For Mitosis University students, it’s a chance to study cutting-edge blockchain upgrades in action!
✍️In Summary
- Vitalik wants to swap Ethereum’s EVM for RISC-V to make it faster and cheaper.
- It could boost performance 100x but needs big updates.
- Old contracts stay safe, and devs can adapt tools.
- The community decides if this plan will be approved.
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Bibliography
Official Mitosis Documentation & Whitepapers
Mitosis Team. (2024). Mitosis: Network for programmable liquidity [Whitepaper]. Mitosis Documentation. Retrieved from https://docs.mitosis.org
Blog Post Summary
New @VitalikButerin blog post on replacing the EVM with RISC-V in the long-term.
— Uma Roy (@pumatheuma) April 20, 2025
I am a huge fan of this direction for Ethereum's execution layer.
Today, RISC-V zkVMs like SP1 are the clear endgame solution for "ZK-ifying" Ethereum and quickly becoming the de-facto solution for… pic.twitter.com/yFBojIheqC
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