Ethereum Virtual Machine(EVM)
The computation engine that executes smart contracts on Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains.
In-Depth Explanation
The EVM is a standardized execution environment—the same contract works identically across all EVM chains. This enabled the multi-chain explosion: deploy once, copy everywhere. EVM compatibility became the dominant standard, with most L1s and L2s supporting it. Solidity compiles to EVM bytecode. Non-EVM chains (Solana, Sui) use different VMs.
Related Terms
Smart Contract
Self-executing code deployed on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreement terms when conditions are met.
Ethereum
ETHA programmable blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications.
Solidity
The primary programming language for writing smart contracts on Ethereum and EVM-compatible blockchains.
More in Infrastructure
View all →Gas Fees
Transaction fees paid to validators/miners for executing operations on a blockchain.
Gwei
A denomination of Ether equal to one billionth of an ETH, commonly used to express gas prices.
Layer 2
L2Scaling solutions built on top of a base blockchain (L1) that process transactions off-chain while inheriting L1 security.
Layer 1
L1The base blockchain that provides security and consensus, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, or Solana.