Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed replacing the current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) contract language with the RISC-V instruction set architecture to improve the speed and efficiency of the Ethereum Network’s execution layer.
Buterin’s April 20 proposal outlined some long-term bottlenecks for scaling stable data availability sampling, still competitive block production, and Ethereum networks that include zero-aware EVMs.
The co-founders of Ethereum argued that implementing the RISC-V architecture in smart contracts would keep the production market competitive and improve the efficiency of the zero-knowledge functions in the execution layer. Butarin wrote:
“Beamchain efforts are very promising to significantly simplify the Ethereum consensus layer, but this kind of radical change may be the only viable path for the executive to see similar benefits.”
The proposal highlights the Ethereum Network’s struggle to improve throughput and remain competitive with next-generation monolithic blockchains such as Solana and SUI networks when investors lose trust in the original smart contract blockchain.
Related: Vitalik Buterin announces Ethereum Privacy Roadmap
Ethereum scaling struggles and the collapse of ether prices
According to Etherscan data, Ethereum’s BLOB fees, transaction fees obtained from the Ethereum Layer-2 scaling network, fell to a weekly low of 3.18 ether (ETH) for the week of March 30th.
Using current ether prices, the 3.18 ETH collected at BLOB rates over the period amounted to around $5,000.
In April 2025, Ethereum Network fees fell to their lowest levels since 2020, averaged around $0.16 per transaction.
According to Santiment Marketing Director Brian Quinlivan, the dramatic reduction in fees means that fewer users send transactions in the Ethereum Base tier, opting to use smart contracts or one of Ethereum’s many layer 2 scaling solutions instead.
Ethereum’s Layer-2 network is described as a double-edge sword that dramatically reduced transaction costs in the base layer, but also made Ethereum Base Layer revenues.
The concerns surrounding base layer revenue generation and the corrosive effect of layer 2 scaling solutions on Ethereum’s market share could drag the price of ether to its historic lows and break through the price of ether to another $1,100 if investors’ confidence continues to fade.
magazine: The proposed changes can save Ethereum from the L2 “roadmap” to hell
