Vitalik Buterin proposed replacing the EVM language with RISC-V, which could increase efficiency by 100 times for Ethereum.

Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the current contract language of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with a RISC-V instruction set architecture to improve the speed and efficiency of the Ethereum network execution layer.

Buterin’s proposal on April 20 pointed out several long-standing issues in scaling the Ethereum network, including ensuring stable data accessibility, maintaining competitiveness in block production, and improving the ability to prove EVM without knowledge.

The co-founder of Ethereum believes that implementing RISC-V architecture in smart contracts will help maintain competition in the block production market and improve the efficiency of non-knowledge functions for the execution layer. Buterin wrote:

“The beam chain effort presents great prospects for significantly simplifying the consensus layer of Ethereum, but for the execution layer to achieve similar advances, this fundamental change may be the only viable path.”

The proposal highlights the Ethereum network’s struggle to improve throughput and remain competitive with next-generation monolithic blockchains like Solana and Sui, as investors are losing faith in the native smart contract blockchain.

Buterin provides figures showing that the implementation of the proposal could lead to a 100-fold increase in efficiency | Source: Vitalik Buterin## The scalability issues of Ethereum and the decline in ETH price

Ethereum’s blob fee, which is the transaction fee collected from Ethereum’s layer 2 scaling networks, fell to a week-to-week low of 3.18 ETH worth around $5,000 in the last week of March, according to data from Etherscan.

At the current price of Ether, the fee of 3.18 ETH earned during this period is equivalent to about 5,000 USD.

In April 2025, Ethereum network fees dropped to their lowest level since 2020, at only about $0.16 per transaction.

According to Santiment’s marketing director, Brian Quinlivan, the significant reduction in fees is due to the number of users sending transactions on Ethereum’s base layer decreasing, instead opting for smart contracts or one of Ethereum’s layer 2 scaling solutions.

Ethereum’s layer 2 network has been described as a double-edged sword, significantly reducing transaction costs on layer 1 while simultaneously causing revenue losses for Ethereum itself.

Concerns about generating revenue on the base layer and the dilutive impact of layer 2 scaling solutions on Ethereum’s market share have caused the price of ETH to drop to a record low and may continue to plummet to around 1,100 USD if investor confidence continues to wane.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Investors should conduct thorough research before making any decisions. We are not responsible for your investment decisions.

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