Ethereum: Could RISC-V Revolutionize Smart Contract Efficiency?

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, has proposed a radical solution to boost the network’s efficiency – replacing its current EVM contract language with the RISC-V instruction set architecture. This move aims to enhance Ethereum’s execution layer and address long-term scalability challenges. Buterin argues that adopting RISC-V could maintain competitive block production and improve the efficiency of zero-knowledge functions, addressing issues such as stable data availability sampling and maintaining the network’s competitiveness against newer blockchains like Solana and Sui.