Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
Also known as: Ethereum VM, EVM Runtime, Smart Contract Engine
A computation engine that executes smart contracts and maintains the state of Ethereum's decentralized network.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the decentralized computing environment that powers smart contract execution on Ethereum. It acts as a runtime engine that interprets and executes bytecode instructions from deployed contracts. Each Ethereum node runs an instance of the EVM to ensure consistent contract behavior and state transitions across the network. The EVM is Turing-complete, enabling complex logic but also constrained by gas fees to prevent infinite loops and abuse. As the foundation for Ethereum’s programmability, the EVM supports languages like Solidity and Vyper and is being emulated in other chains for compatibility.