[Ethereum begins the modular war: RISC-V is the weapon, ZK is the bullet]
Vitalik recently dropped a technical bomb: considering using RISC-V to replace EVM bytecode. Many initially thought it was just an engineer's wild idea, but behind this is Ethereum's imminent entry into a full-scale war of modular blockchains.
Let me help everyone break down the strategic intentions behind this proposal and where you, as a value investor, should look for opportunities.
I. This is not about switching VMs; it's about preparing for war.
This time proposing to replace EVM with RISC-V seems to be an adjustment of the underlying technical architecture, but in reality, it is Ethereum laying out a completely new modular ecosystem.
Supplementary explanation:
RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA), unlike the closed and highly specialized virtual machine instructions (EVM Bytecode) currently used by Ethereum. Open-source = customizable + easy integration + better future scalability.
EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) is currently Ethereum's execution environment, but its design can no longer meet the efficiency requirements of ZK.
What Vitalik wants is to make Ethereum a platform where "execution environments bloom everywhere." EVM is not out of the picture but needs to step back to become one of the options. The stage should be given to more flexible and ZK-friendly virtual machines, such as zkVM.
II. This is Ethereum's direct confrontation with Solana / Sui
In recent years, new public chains like Solana and Sui have emphasized "super speed + native virtual machines," pushing TPS to the ceiling, making EVM seem slow and clumsy. Market traffic is also becoming increasingly fragmented, with EVM chains like Polygon, BSC, Arbitrum each playing their own games.
Vitalik would rather choose to fight than be besieged:
> Modularizing the execution layer: Whoever performs better gets on.
> Use open-source tools (RISC-V) to create a common language
> Accelerate with ZK technology while maintaining security and decentralization.
Supplementary explanation:
zkVM (Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machine) is specifically designed to generate zero-knowledge proofs, theoretically allowing on-chain computations to simultaneously possess security, privacy, and super high efficiency.
It is expected that future ZK proofs running on RISC-V will achieve 50–100 times the performance of existing systems.
III. This is the official start of the modular blockchain architecture.
You can imagine Ethereum's future as Lego blocks:
> The settlement layer is the main network (ETH)
> The execution layer can be replaced (EVM, zkVM, Fuel VM, etc.)
> Data storage and availability outsourcing (Celestia, EigenDA)
> The security layer relies on re-staking (EigenLayer)
This system is not just a technical upgrade but a structural entry into the era of modular chains.
Supplementary explanation:
Modular Blockchain separates the functions of consensus, execution, settlement, and data availability to enhance efficiency and flexibility.
SNARKs (Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge) is a cryptographic proof technology that can verify a calculation's correctness without redoing that calculation, making it very suitable for ZK applications.
So this is not about Ethereum replacing EVM, but rather:
"I become the platform, allowing all execution environments to set up shop here."
IV. Who will be the winner of this narrative? Look at the modular infrastructure.
This proposal tells us one thing: ZK + modularization is the underlying framework for Ethereum's narrative in the next two years.
The key point is not who has high TPS or low gas fees, but who can become the next infrastructure.
V. Investment Layout Direction Suggestions
（1）Modular DA Layer (Data Availability)
Celestia (TIA): The first brand of modular data availability.
（2）Modular Execution Layer (AltVM + zkVM)
Fuel: The first truly modular execution layer, using the Sway language, not Solidity.
Polygon zkEVM / Scroll / StarkNet / zkSync: Different implementations of ZK technology.
Cartesi (CTSI): Combining RISC-V and off-chain verifiable computing, the technical route is quite appealing.
（3）Security Trust Layer / Re-staking
EigenLayer (EIGEN): The core re-staking protocol, the trust foundation for almost all modular chains.
Lido (LDO): The security of the main chain still relies on ETH staking, and the liquidity staking entry position remains.
（4）Main Chain Body
Ethereum (ETH): Don't forget, all modular chains eventually have to settle on the main chain.
What Vitalik has presented is not a "technical optimization proposal," but a military order for a new round of blockchain landscape.
He does not want to surpass a particular chain but aims to rewrite the rules of the game directly.
If you are still chasing which chain has a higher TPS or which L2 has lower gas fees, congratulations – you are looking at the rivers on the map, but the war has already moved to the air.
$ETH $tia
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