Vitalik Buterin Lays Out a Vision to Drastically Simplify Ethereum's Core Architecture

The most radical idea includes a proposal to replace the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture

Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled an optimistic vision to drastically simplify Ethereum’s core architecture, aiming to boost scalability, resilience, and accessibility. Among his proposals is replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture, in a move that could fundamentally alter the Ethereum ecosystem.

In a blog post on May 3, Buterin highlighted the importance of simplifying Ethereum to improve zero-knowledge proof efficiency, reduce complexity, and lower infrastructure costs. He believes that this would encourage broader participation in protocol development and maintenance.

"If we want to get to a place where Ethereum is a truly global platform, massively used and trusted by billions of people, then we need to make sure that the technical governance of the protocol is broadly distributed and that the burden of participation is low," Buterin stated.

His vision includes redesigning the consensus layer with 3-slot finality and replacing the current EVM with a simpler virtual machine, like RISC-V, which is better suited for modern cryptographic systems. Buterin also proposes removing outdated code from the core consensus to improve backwards compatibility and standardizing key components, such as erasure codes and serialization formats, across different layers to reduce redundancy and risk.

"People could say 'Ah, Vitalik made a mistake!' But crucially, they would also be able to say 'OK, I can fix this mistake.' And crucially, they would be able to do so without needing to complete an OptimalCoin-level tour de force to do so," he explained, referring to a technical proposal for a new cryptocurrency.

Buterin further highlighted the potential of RISC-V to perform operations directly, making it "easier to understand" and potentially expanding the pool of developers capable of engaging in protocol research. He believes that this would lower infrastructure costs, reduce long-term maintenance expenses, and minimize the risk of serious bugs.

With fewer complex components, it could also shrink Ethereum’s "social attack surface," rendering the platform more secure and accessible. This architectural change could also improve performance by up to 100x for certain operations, all while maintaining backward compatibility with existing smart contracts.

Buterin envisions a system that could become "close to as simple as Bitcoin," boosting Ethereum’s credibility, neutrality, and global trust. He envisions a scenario where people could glance at the code and identify how to fix small bugs or suggest improvements.

"People would be able to contribute usefully to the maintenance of the core protocol without needing to dedicate years of their lives to becoming OptimalCoin-level all-round blockchain wizards," he elaborated.

Despite the ambitious vision, Vitalik Buterin admitted his own shortcomings in the network’s evolution. He noted that some of Ethereum’s complexity stemmed from decisions he made in pursuit of benefits that “proved illusory.”

"I think that over the past few years, we've made good progress on reducing the complexity of the Ethereum blockchain and making it more modular," Buterin concluded.

As Ethereum continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Buterin’s proposals are received by the community and what impact they could have on the future of the blockchain.