While much of the crypto community was occupied with the improved regulatory clarity, memecoin mania, and Bitcoin hitting new all-time highs, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently proposed a radical change to the network’s base layer.
Amid the falling revenue and base layer activity on Ethereum, he suggested switching the network from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode with the RISC-V architecture. In Vitalik’s words, it would “greatly improve the efficiency of the Ethereum execution layer, resolving one of the primary scaling bottlenecks.”
Ethereum remains by far the strongest network for DeFi with robust security, a large developer base, and the Surge roadmap. However, Vitalik’s suggestion reveals that the network is dealing with high gas fees, slow transactions, and user frustrations—and that it needs a fix.
Why the execution layer focus matters
Though the base layer of Ethereum has vastly improved over the last few years, scaling to meet the skyrocketing demand requires splitting the computational loads. If you look at the stack, there’s a consensus layer, an availability layer, an execution layer, and on top of them sits the settlement layer.
These layers are decoupled from one another in modular tech stacks, meaning different projects can specialize in different layers based on their area of expertise, enhancing the overall performance of the network. As a result, they offer superior flexibility and segmentation compared to monolithic stacks.
In monolithic architecture, there’s a single stack performing the functions of all those different layers. There’s little room for developers to specialize in or improve specific layers because they don’t have the optionality to design their vision with monolithic stacks.
Different use cases benefit from different layers. While Ethereum’s base layer might work well for simple use cases, complex applications such as exchanges with multiple features are more suited for app-specific chains.
Web3 games could be another example of an optimal use case suited for app chains rather than the base layer of Ethereum. Supporting the imagination of game developers so they can compete with centralized AAA games requires high computational power.
Running them directly on Ethereum becomes costly and inefficient. This bottleneck diminishes the incentive for Web3 builders and players alike.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
One of the biggest strengths of Ethereum is that it arms developers with the necessary tooling to innovate, experiment, and push the limits of what’s possible on-chain. Cartesi—one of the first Ethereum Layer-2s—recently announced that it has renewed its focus on strengthening Ethereum’s execution layer.
It’s a well thought out move to address what Cartesi sees as core technical requirements to power Ethereum’s future.
Over the last seven years, Cartesi was focused on the belief that general-purpose computation could radically expand what’s possible onchain. And it supported builders, funded radical experiments, and welcomed innovation across the tech stack. That exploration not only laid the groundwork, but also clarified where Cartesi could add the most value.
All about the Cartesi machine
Notably, the Cartesi Machine has been leveraging RISC-V for years, allowing dApps to operate in a sandboxed Linux OS. With its familiar programming languages like C++, Rust, and Python, even traditional Web2 developers find it easy to transition to Web3.
Vitalik Buterin’s open support for RISC-V strengthens Cartesi’s renewed alignment with Ethereum.
RISC-V not only bridges the divide between blockchain and traditional software development, but also opens doors to onchain AI inference, rich data analytics, and cryptographic proofs. This makes RISC-V capable of thriving in rapidly evolving environments that Ethereum needs to be prepared for.
Years of investment and exploration has helped Cartesi build high-impact components like Cartesi Rollups, a fraud-proof system, and the Cartesi Machine.
Now that it’s becoming a core technical contributor to Ethereum’s execution layer, these Cartesi technologies will allow Ethereum to scale without sacrificing decentralization or security.
The PRT-Honeypot system
Recently, Cartesi’s fraud-proof system PRT-Honeypot became one of the only two rollup projects to earn L2BEAT’s Stage 2 classification. That means Honeypot maintains the highest standard of security recognized by the industry. It’s protected entirely by its automated, on-chain, fraud-proof algorithm.
Moreover, the PRT-Honeypot has a public prize pool of CTSI tokens as a bounty for anyone who can find and exploit vulnerabilities in the underlying Cartesi Rollups technology.
Cartesi gives Ethereum builders the infrastructure they need to build complex applications economically and at scale. It fits naturally within the modular architecture, enabling developers to choose execution environments and build without the limitations of monolithic chains.
Closing thoughts
If there is ever going to be a “common standard” for crypto, Ethereum is the most promising candidate. The network has undergone several upgrades such as the transition to PoS, Proto-Danksharding, and more, making Layer 2s and sharding more efficient.
As Ethereum scales for mainstream adoption, strengthening its infrastructure is essential. Cartesi has aligned itself to the common vision. Its years of innovation and exploration would further strengthen Ethereum’s execution layer, accelerating mainstream adoption.