Ethereum Eyes RISC-V to Revolutionize Smart Contract Execution

Ethereum may be on the cusp of a major architectural evolution as co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposes a bold shift: replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture gaining traction in computing and blockchain alike.

What Is RISC-V and Why It Matters Now?

RISC-V (pronounced “risk-five”) is a modular and streamlined instruction set architecture (ISA) developed at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2010. Unlike proprietary ISAs like ARM and x86, RISC-V is open-source, which allows developers to build custom processors tailored to specific tasks — from mobile chips to supercomputers.

Now, Ethereum’s founder sees potential for RISC-V far beyond traditional computing. In a scaling proposal revealed on April 20, 2025, Buterin suggested using RISC-V to redefine Ethereum’s core execution engine — a move that could unlock vast improvements in transaction throughput and processing efficiency.

“Replacing the EVM with RISC-V could be the only way to radically simplify and speed up Ethereum’s execution layer,” Buterin stated.

What’s Wrong With the Current EVM?

Ethereum’s current bottlenecks stem from the EVM's architecture. Its single-threaded processing, costly computational overhead, and bloated state management are not optimized for modern scalability needs — especially in a post-Merge world where Ethereum transitioned to proof-of-stake (PoS) in 2022.

Despite that energy-efficient upgrade, Ethereum’s mainnet remains expensive and congested, leading users to migrate to layer-2 rollups for cheaper transactions. This new proposal is designed to address those pain points at their core — not just by patching the system but by rethinking it entirely.

How Would RISC-V Fit Into Ethereum?

The proposal explores two primary integration paths:

1. Dual VM Compatibility: Ethereum would support both EVM and RISC-V smart contracts, with interoperability between them. Contracts could call one another, share storage, and interact seamlessly across formats. This backward-compatible approach allows a gradual transition without breaking existing DApps.

2. Full RISC-V Conversion: The more radical alternative involves converting all existing EVM contracts to work via an interpreter — a translation layer — while future contracts are written directly in RISC-V. This would optimize long-term efficiency but require significant rewrites and ecosystem coordination.

Either path would rely heavily on interpreters or compilers, ensuring Ethereum doesn't alienate its existing base while paving the way for performance gains.

Why RISC-V Could Supercharge Ethereum

One of RISC-V’s greatest strengths is its simplicity. Unlike the EVM, which was never built with zero-knowledge proofs or rollups in mind, RISC-V’s architecture can be optimized for ZK systems — a key component in Ethereum’s long-term scaling roadmap.

Buterin estimates potential efficiency gains as high as 100x — particularly in proving costs within zkEVM rollups. While that number may be optimistic, even a fraction of that performance boost could dramatically reduce gas fees and expand the network’s capacity.

Key Advantages of RISC-V Over EVM:

• Lower Overhead: RISC-V strips away unnecessary admin functions like gas accounting and state complexity.

• Better ZK Integration: Ideal for zkRollups and proof-generation tasks where EVM struggles.

• Modular and Open: Easier for developers to tailor and optimize for specific use cases.

• Lower Costs for Users: Faster execution translates to lower fees.

But Is Ethereum Ready for a Shift This Big?

Despite the excitement, the RISC-V proposal has sparked considerable debate. Developer Ben Adams cautioned that while proving efficiency may rise, the actual block execution might slow down under RISC-V’s model — potentially offsetting the gains.

“The risk is that ZK-proving improves, but block building and execution deteriorate,” Adams warned.

Others, like Adam Cochran, questioned whether this was the right time to pursue such a deep structural change, especially considering the technical lift involved.

“It’s a good solution for some L1 bottlenecks, but is this where we should focus our energy now?” Cochran asked.

What's Next?

For now, the RISC-V integration is still just a proposal. Ethereum’s decentralized governance structure means that such a change requires community consensus, rigorous technical validation, and likely years of engineering work.

But if adopted, RISC-V could mark the next great transformation for Ethereum — not just in scaling, but in simplifying the network’s core and preparing it for the next era of blockchain computing.

Quick Recap: RISC-V on Ethereum

Whether Ethereum embraces RISC-V or not, the discussion signals something clear: the future of smart contracts may lie beyond the EVM, in a world where blockchain logic runs on the same architecture that powers the world’s most advanced chips.