Vitalik Buterin Proposes RISC-V Overhaul for Ethereum to Boost

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is making headlines once again, this time with a bold proposal to replace the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with the RISC-V instruction set architecture. According to Buterin, this shift could revolutionize Ethereum’s execution layer, making it faster, simpler, and significantly more efficient—particularly for zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs.

“It aims to greatly improve the efficiency of the Ethereum execution layer, resolving one of the primary scaling bottlenecks,” Buterin stated, emphasizing that this may be “the only way” to achieve such simplicity and scalability. The proposed change could result in up to 100x efficiency gains in zk-EVM proving capabilities, a major upgrade for Ethereum’s scalability roadmap.

Backing Buterin’s proposal, Succinct Labs researcher Kshitij Kulkarni revealed that Ethereum’s current EVM adds up to an 800x overhead for zkVM proving times. “The EVM is very inefficient for ZK,” he said, suggesting RISC-V would be a game-changer. Fellow Succinct Labs developer Uma Roy added that replacing EVM with RISC-V could increase Ethereum’s gas limit on Layer 1, further enhancing throughput without compromising security.

New @VitalikButerin post with a radical proposal: we should move Ethereum execution from the EVM to RISC-V.

Ethereum scaling in the long run will be limited by zkVM proving capabilities. If the goal is to scale the L1, it makes sense to remove one of the primary bottlenecks to… pic.twitter.com/apHPQjQqxa
— K Kulkarni (@ks_kulk) April 20, 2025

Currently, Solana outpaces Ethereum by over 90x in transaction speed, according to data from ChainSpect. Buterin’s proposal could help Ethereum narrow this gap and retain its competitive edge in the high-performance blockchain space.

Also Read: Ethereum (ETH) Holds Strong as Whales Accumulate

Market sentiment has responded with cautious optimism. The popular crypto analyst bot AIXBT predicted a RISC-V testnet launch in Q3, stating, “$3k price floor incoming.” Following the announcement, ETH’s social volume surged, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 12-hour chart crossed the 50-mark for the first time in April—indicating renewed buying interest.

Still, the price faces key resistance levels at $1700 and $1800. A breakout above these could validate bullish predictions, including long-term targets of $3k to $10k. While sentiment remains neutral for now, Buterin’s proposal might be the catalyst Ethereum needs to usher in its next phase of growth.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of Chain Affairs. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. Chain Affairs is not responsible for any financial losses.

Andrew Chen

I’m a crypto enthusiast with a background in finance. I’m fascinated by the potential of crypto to disrupt traditional financial systems. I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative projects in the space. I believe that crypto has the potential to create a more equitable and inclusive financial system.

Andrew Chen

I'm a crypto enthusiast with a background in finance. I'm fascinated by the potential of crypto to disrupt traditional financial systems. I'm always on the lookout for new and innovative projects in the space. I believe that crypto has the potential to create a more equitable and inclusive financial system.