Sei Labs (SEI) Proposes to Turn Network into an EVM-Only Chain, Deprecating Cosmos Architecture

Sei Labs has put forth a major proposal, SIP-3, to turn the Sei network into an EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) only chain.

Sei Labs is proposing a significant change to the architecture of the Sei network in order to streamline it to an EVM-only chain, according to a new proposal submitted through the Sei Improvement Proposal (SIP) process. The proposal, known as SIP-3, aims to simplify the network's infrastructure and fully leverage the potential of Sei's unique parallelized EVM.

The proposal comes in response to the dominant activity of EVM programs and the relative inactivity of CosmWasm contracts, which has led to nearly all current usage on Sei being driven by EVM programs. This observation has prompted the proposal for a full transition to an EVM-centric framework.

To achieve this transition, SIP-3 proposes deprecating CosmWasm and native Cosmos transactions, effectively merging the network to operate using only EVM-based infrastructure. This integration would render all public-facing infrastructure, including wallets, dApps, and user transactions, purely EVM-native, while core functions like staking, governance, and validator operations would still use internal Sei addresses.

This shift in architecture would drastically reduce the load on developers and infrastructure providers by simplifying wallet management for users and removing the need for dual address handling, thus reducing friction.

However, this simplification also brings disruption, requiring developers to port existing CosmWasm applications to EVM and users to migrate assets to EVM-compatible platforms. This process would be facilitated by community-led initiatives and cross-chain bridges.

The proposal is now open for community discussion and feedback on the SIP portal. As the proposal gains traction, community members can vote on whether to accept or reject the proposal.

The integration of EVM programs on the Sei network has already brought significant benefits, enabling the rapid development of dApps and a vibrant DeFi ecosystem. A complete transition to an EVM-only chain could further amplify these advantages and solidify Sei's position as a leading L1 blockchain.

This move aligns with the broader trends in the blockchain industry, where there is increasing demand for interoperability, developer-friendly platforms, and efficient scaling solutions, all of which the Sei network aims to provide.

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