Vitalik Buterin proposes replacing Ethereum's Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V to achieve radical efficiency gains in zero-knowledge proofs. The transformative shift aims for a 100x performance increase while simplifying Ethereum's architecture akin to Bitcoin's. Buterin emphasizes that Bitcoin's simplicity enhances its credibility as a neutral and trusted base layer. He foresees Ethereum, in five years, becoming significantly more streamlined. The RISC-V system will allow direct processing of operations, eliminating translation overheads associated with EVM, thus expediting processes and reducing technical complexity. While the plan offers potential benefits such as lower infrastructure costs and minimized risks of bugs, it may pose challenges in maintaining backward compatibility and necessitating extensive developer retraining. Buterin acknowledges previous shortcomings in improving Ethereum, expressing ambition to overcome these hurdles to foster technological development.

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