Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, has a new idea on the table—and it’s a big one. He wants to switch out Ethereum’s core system (called the EVM) and replace it with something called RISC-V.
If you’re not super technical, don’t worry. Here’s the gist: Ethereum’s current engine isn’t as fast or simple as it could be, especially with how things have evolved. RISC-V, on the other hand, is already being used in lots of modern tech products because it’s open-source, more efficient, and much easier to work with.
Vitalik believes it could help Ethereum grow faster and run smarter contracts more efficiently—without slowing the network down.
Why Change Now?
Ethereum has made huge strides over the years. It moved from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake with the Merge, and it’s always been working on improving scalability. But smart contract execution—the part where apps and transactions actually “run”—is still a weak spot.
Right now, systems like zero-knowledge proofs (which help scale Ethereum and add privacy) spend a lot of effort just to interpret EVM code. In some cases, half the processing power is spent just dealing with EVM logic.
By switching to a RISC-V-based system, Buterin says Ethereum could become up to 100 times more efficient. That’s not a small upgrade—that’s massive.
Will This Break Ethereum?
Nope. According to Buterin, everything people use today—wallets, smart contracts, even old dApps—would still work. The idea is to keep everything compatible while quietly swapping out the underlying tech.
Developers would still use languages like Solidity. The only change is where that code gets compiled—it would go to RISC-V instead of EVM. That means the day-to-day experience stays the same.
How Would the Shift Happen?
Vitalik shared three possible ways Ethereum could roll this out:
- Run both systems side-by-side—EVM and RISC-V together.
- Wrap old contracts so they can run inside the new one.
- Build a standard that supports both engines through interpreters.
Each path offers a way forward without disrupting existing apps or users.
A Quick Look at the Bigger Picture
Ethereum’s long-term plan has always been about modularity—breaking things into smaller pieces that can improve independently. The Beam Chain, expected around 2026, will focus on improving Ethereum’s consensus process.
But for smart contracts and execution, a change like this could be the missing piece. It’s part of a bigger effort to simplify the system, make it faster, and future-proof the network.
Meanwhile, ETH Price Has Been Rough
This year hasn’t been kind to ETH. The coin has dropped over 50%, and its dominance in the market is the lowest it’s been in five years. However, there’s been a bit of a rebound—ETH gained 6% in the last couple of weeks, and 1.7% in the last 24 hours alone.
At the moment, it’s trading around $1,639.
