Dev Update Week 11: Experimenting with a RISC-V Execution Engine

# Dev Update Week 11: Experimenting with a RISC-V Execution Engine **Developer:** Developeruche **Week Ending:** August 30, 2025 ### Summary This week marked the transition from benchmarking-focused research into exploratory architecture design. I investigated the feasibility of replacing Ethereum’s traditional EVM execution environment with a RISC-V–based virtual machine while ensuring full backward compatibility. The research culminated in a draft design document outlining the motivations, architectural considerations, and strategies for enabling a hybrid Ethereum node that can support both RISC-V and EVM contracts seamlessly. ### Accomplishments This Week * **Drafted Hybrid Ethereum Architecture Document:** Authored a detailed exploration titled **“A Hybrid Ethereum: Experimenting with a RISC-V Execution Engine.”** This document outlines the motivations for RISC-V adoption, the structural design, and the required components to maintain backward compatibility. * **Proposed Bytecode Differentiation Strategy:** Developed a simple mechanism to distinguish between RISC-V and EVM contracts using **magic numbers** (similar to Ethereum Object Format), avoiding disruptive state changes. * **Designed the `mini-evm` Emulator Concept:** Proposed a lightweight interpreter that would run within the RISC-V VM, translating EVM opcodes into `syscalls`. This allows legacy contracts to run without modification while maintaining consistent state transition logic. * **Outlined Benefits and Challenges:** Identified the potential benefits of adopting RISC-V (performance gains, robust toolchains, support for Rust/C++), while also documenting challenges such as fair gas metering for RISC-V instructions and ensuring the security of the `mini-evm`. ### Next Steps & Goals for Next Week 1. **Start Implementation:** Begin prototyping the hybrid model, focusing first on setting up the RISC-V execution sandbox and designing the interface for `syscalls`. 2. **Implement Magic Number Detection:** Add initial logic to differentiate between EVM, EOF, and RISC-V contracts. 3. **Prototype `mini-evm`:** Begin translating a subset of EVM opcodes into RISC-V syscalls as proof of concept. 4. **Evaluate Toolchains:** Explore existing Rust → RISC-V compilation toolchains to confirm developer readiness and integration feasibility. [Hybrid Ethereum](/FCMzmXRDS8qncapOUaeBkg)