Ethereum, one of the leading blockchains in the world, has long been at the forefront of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. However, as blockchain technology evolves, Ethereum faces increasing competition from faster, cheaper networks such as Solana and Sui. To keep up, Ethereum needs to scale, improve transaction speeds, and maintain its competitive edge. In response to these challenges, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a radical upgrade to Ethereum's execution layer: a switch from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) contract language to the RISC-V instruction set architecture.
Ethereum Faces Growing Pressure to Scale
Ethereum has been under pressure for some time to improve its scalability. With the rise of layer-2 solutions and the increasing use of networks like Solana and Sui, Ethereum's transaction speeds and costs have become a concern. These newer blockchains offer faster and cheaper transactions, making them more attractive to developers and users.
But the growing popularity of layer-2 networks, which help reduce transaction costs, has also had an unintended side effect: a drop in Ethereum’s revenue from transaction fees, known as "blob fees." Data from Etherscan reveals that blob fees fell to a mere 3.18 ETH (around $5,000) during the week of March 30, 2025. This marks a significant drop compared to previous periods, with average network fees in April 2025 hitting a five-year low of just $0.16 per transaction.
Brian Quinlivan, the marketing director at Santiment, attributes this decrease to users migrating to more cost-efficient layer-2 solutions, effectively diverting significant fee revenue away from Ethereum’s core infrastructure. While layer-2 solutions have been beneficial in reducing transaction costs, Ethereum needs to find ways to enhance its base layer’s functionality and competitiveness to avoid losing its market dominance.
Vitalik Buterin's Proposal: A Switch to RISC-V
On April 20, 2025, Buterin presented a proposal that could change the way Ethereum operates at its core. He suggested that Ethereum’s execution layer adopt the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) in place of the current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This shift, Buterin argues, could dramatically improve Ethereum’s execution speed, scalability, and overall efficiency.
RISC-V is an open-source, modular instruction set architecture that has been gaining traction in the tech world for its flexibility and performance capabilities. Unlike proprietary ISAs, RISC-V allows developers to customize the architecture to their needs. Buterin believes that this customization could help Ethereum achieve major improvements, particularly in key areas like data availability sampling and zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) generation—critical components for Ethereum's future scalability and security.
Tackling Bottlenecks for Ethereum’s Future
Buterin's proposal is part of a broader strategy to address Ethereum's key bottlenecks. He highlighted several crucial issues that need to be tackled for Ethereum to remain scalable and competitive:
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Improving Data Availability Sampling: Ethereum needs to find ways to more efficiently sample data, ensuring that the blockchain can handle a larger number of transactions without compromising security or decentralization.
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Block Production Competition: Healthy competition in block production is vital for Ethereum to avoid centralization risks and ensure that transaction throughput remains high.
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Optimizing Zero-Knowledge Proof Generation: As zero-knowledge proofs become an essential feature for scaling Ethereum, optimizing their generation is crucial for ensuring that Ethereum can handle increased demand without sacrificing speed or cost-efficiency.
Buterin sees RISC-V as a potential key to solving these issues. By integrating RISC-V into Ethereum’s execution layer, Ethereum could enhance its zero-knowledge capabilities, which are becoming increasingly important in the Ethereum ecosystem. Zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-rollups) are already seen as a promising scaling solution for Ethereum, and improving the efficiency of ZK-proof generation could unlock even greater scalability.
RISC-V: The Path to Ethereum’s Future?
In his proposal, Buterin also pointed to the “beam chain” effort, which is focused on simplifying Ethereum’s consensus layer. However, he argues that for the execution layer to benefit similarly, a "radical shift" may be necessary, and RISC-V could be the key. By embracing this open-source architecture, Ethereum could achieve significant performance gains that could help the network maintain its dominance in the blockchain space.
For developers, the shift to RISC-V could mean more flexibility and higher performance in their smart contract execution. For Ethereum users, this could translate into faster transactions, lower costs, and a more scalable network capable of supporting the growing demand for decentralized applications.
What Does This Mean for Ethereum’s Future?
Ethereum's transition to a RISC-V-based execution layer is not without its challenges. The Ethereum community will need to carefully consider the technical and practical implications of such a move. However, if successful, Buterin’s proposal could mark a significant turning point for Ethereum, helping the network stay ahead of competitors and reinforcing its position as the leading platform for decentralized applications.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, it is clear that the blockchain’s long-term success will depend on its ability to innovate and adapt to changing technological demands. Vitalik Buterin’s RISC-V proposal is an ambitious step toward achieving this goal, ensuring that Ethereum remains at the cutting edge of blockchain technology.
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