Ethereum Foundation’s newly appointed co-executive director Tomasz K. Stańczak has responded publicly to Vitalik Buterin’s recent proposal advocating for replacing Ethereum’s existing Virtual Machine (EVM) with the open-source instruction set architecture RISC-V. Stańczak explained that Buterin’s proposals are primarily intended to ignite community dialogue and invite careful consideration around the network’s strategic objectives and potential technological breakthroughs.
Stańczak emphasized that, with the recent changes in Foundation leadership, the organization is recalibrating its approach from basic research and experimentation toward more immediate priorities. Those include Layer 1 scaling enhancements, robust support for Layer 2 solutions, improvements in overall user experience, and a stronger push toward achieving interoperability. He specifically highlighted several anticipated Ethereum protocol updates—such as the upcoming Pectra upgrade, followed by Fusaka and Glamsterdam—as core areas for improvement and community involvement.
“Our discussions about the Layer 1 scaling roadmap have been extensive, and the feedback thus far indicates the community values our ambitious goals. Transitioning these ambitions into—reality will hinge largely on the dedication and focus of our developers and researchers,” Stańczak stated.
Stańczak also noted that the reshuffling of roles at Ethereum Foundation would facilitate Buterin stepping back from day-to-day operational responsibilities and crisis management. Instead, the Ethereum co-founder intends to concentrate his energies predominantly on cutting-edge research and exploring new technological directions.
“Among our objectives is to allocate more of Vitalik’s time toward research and innovation, as opposed to operational duties. When Vitalik expresses strategic insights or direction, he consistently accelerates significant long-term advancements within Ethereum,” Stańczak remarked.
Additionally, Stańczak praised Buterin’s recent RISC-V proposal, noting it had already sparked meaningful conversations around zero-knowledge virtual machines and privacy-oriented improvements, realigning the community with Ethereum’s foundational values. He underscored, however, that while Buterin’s proposals inevitably influence Ethereum’s developments, they should be viewed mainly as starting points for open discussions rather than formal policy choices, emphasizing that the broader community retains authority to adapt or even reject proposed directions.
“I would like to stress that while Vitalik’s input carries substantial weight, these concepts serve first and foremost to encourage discourse and drive forward exploration in challenging technical areas,” he explained.
Buterin’s original proposal, shared recently on the Ethereum Magicians forum, argues that shifting Ethereum’s virtual machine to utilize RISC-V could significantly enhance network efficiency and open substantial scalability improvements, particularly within zero-knowledge proof implementations.
This dialogue emerges just ahead of the Ethereum network’s scheduled upgrade rollout, slated for May 7, aiming at further bolstering the blockchain’s scalability and functionality.
