- Buterin proposes significant system architecture change.
- Proposal sparks debate on community forums.
- Potential for increased efficiency and flexibility.
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine with RISC-V on April 20, 2025, through the Ethereum Magicians forum.
The proposal indicates a significant shift towards updating Ethereum’s infrastructure, potentially impacting market dynamics and technology adoption.
RISC-V Proposal Details
Vitalik Buterin has suggested replacing Ethereum’s existing EVM contract language with the RISC-V instruction set, signaling a major technical shift for the blockchain. This proposal was formally discussed on the Ethereum Magicians forum, a prominent venue for core development discussions.
The introduction of RISC-V, a widely adopted open processor architecture, aims to improve execution efficiency and flexibility. Buterin has assured that existing EVM contracts will remain functional and fully interoperable with new RISC-V contracts, maintaining a level of continuity for developers. According to Buterin, “Old-style EVM contracts will continue to work and will be fully two-way interoperable with new-style RISC-V contracts.”
Market and Community Reaction
The market reacted with palpable uncertainty, evidenced by Ethereum’s declining price, which analysts suggest could fall further if investor confidence continues to wane. Recent shifts reflect the broader usage and fee declines, suggesting users are migrating to Layer 2 solutions.
Financially, the lack of allocated funding for the RISC-V transition adds a layer of speculation about future investment and resource dedication. The community remains divided on the feasibility and logistics of the migration, with some highlighting the need to stay competitive against platforms like Solana.
Currently, there are no formal responses from regulators or institutional investors, indicating that the proposal remains within early discussion phases. Historically, Ethereum’s major upgrades have resulted in temporary price volatility followed by stabilization, a potential pattern for the fallout from this proposal.