What is the Ethereum Virtual Machine?

The EVM is the software every Ethereum node runs to execute smart contracts. Explore how it works, what gas is for, and why one 0x address works across EVM-compatible networks..

• MetaMask
• What the Ethereum Virtual Machine does
• How the EVM runs code
• Why the EVM needs gas aka network fees
• What EVM compatibility means
• Blockchains that don't use the EVM
• How the EVM is changing in 2026
• How wallets work across EVM networks

The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the computing environment Ethereum uses to execute smart contract code. Every Ethereum node runs its own copy of the EVM, and all of them process the same transactions in the same way, so the network agrees on a single shared state: every account balance and every contract's stored data.

Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only. It is not financial advice, not a solicitation, and not for UK audiences. Ethereum, EVM-compatible networks, and the applications built on them carry risk and are not suitable for all users.

What the Ethereum Virtual Machine does

Ethereum’s base network tracks the digital assets—ether and otherwise—that each address on the network holds. It also tracks programs, called smart contracts, and their data. The EVM is the part of Ethereum that runs those programs.

When a transaction calls a smart contract, each Ethereum node loads the contract's code into its EVM, runs it with the transaction's inputs, and updates the state with the result. Because the EVM is deterministic, the same input always produces the same output on every node. That's what lets thousands of independent nodes agree on the result without trusting each other.

The EVM is often described as a "world computer," but it's closer to a slow, shared computer where every step costs gas and everyone can verify the result. Ethereum's design trades speed for the guarantee that no single party controls the result.

How the EVM runs code

Developers write smart contracts in programming languages, usually Solidity or Vyper. Before deployment, a compiler turns that code into bytecode, a compact list of basic instructions the EVM understands.

Each instruction is an opcode, such as ADD for addition, SSTORE for saving a value to storage, or CALL for calling another contract. The EVM processes opcodes one at a time using:

• A stack for temporary values during a calculation.

A stack for temporary values during a calculation.

• Memory for data needed only during the current call, cleared when it ends.

Memory for data needed only during the current call, cleared when it ends.

• Storage for data that persists on the blockchain between transactions, such as token balances.

Storage for data that persists on the blockchain between transactions, such as token balances.

• Calldata for the inputs sent with the transaction.

Calldata for the inputs sent with the transaction.

Storage is the most expensive resource, because every node has to keep that data indefinitely.

Why the EVM needs gas aka network fees

Any computer that can run any program can be given one that never stops. On a shared network, one infinite loop could stall every node. The EVM prevents this with gas fees aka network fees.

Every opcode has a gas cost. Some are fixed, such as 3 gas for ADD, while others depend on the work involved, such as writing to storage for the first time, which costs 20,000 gas or more. The sender sets a gas limit for each transaction, usually through their wallet, capped at 16,777,216 gas per transaction since the Fusaka upgrade in December 2025, and the EVM stops execution if that limit runs out, reverting any changes, and the sender still pays for the gas used.

Each block also has a total gas limit, which caps how much computation the network processes per block. On Ethereum mainnet, that limit has been 60 million gas since December 2025, up from 30 million at the start of 2025.

Gas measures work. Ethereum's fee market sets what users pay for that work. For how fees are priced, seeEthereum gas fees explained.

What EVM compatibility means

An EVM-compatible blockchain network runs the same instruction set as Ethereum, so contracts written for Ethereum can be deployed there with little or no change. Ethereum wallets, developer tools, and addresses work the same way too. The same 0x address, controlled by the same Private Key, works on every EVM network, which is why MetaMask shows one address across all the EVM networks it supports.

This shared standard is why so much of crypto runs on EVM chains:

• Ethereum layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum, OP Mainnet, Base, Linea, and ZKsync run EVM-compatible environments and settle back to Ethereum.

such as Arbitrum, OP Mainnet, Base, Linea, and ZKsync run EVM-compatible environments and settle back to Ethereum.

• Networks such as BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche C-Chain, Polygon PoS, Sei, and Monad run their own validators and consensus but use the EVM for execution.

Networks such as BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche C-Chain, Polygon PoS, , and run their own validators and consensus but use the EVM for execution.

Some networks match Ethereum's behavior exactly ("EVM equivalent"), while others support most contracts but differ on certain opcodes, gas costs, or precompiles. Developers moving a contract between EVM chains still need to test it on each one.

Blockchains that don't use the EVM

Not every smart contract platform uses the EVM. For example, Solana runs programs written mainly in Rust through its own runtime, built to process many transactions in parallel. Other networks, including Sui, Aptos, and Cardano, use their own virtual machines and languages. Apps built for these networks don't run on EVM chains, and users need bridges to move tokens between them.

How the EVM is changing in 2026

Ethereum's core developers change the EVM through network upgrades. Recent and planned changes focus on running more computation per block:

• Gas fee limit increases. Validators raised the block gas limit from 30 million to 60 million gas during 2025, letting more transactions fit in each block. Glamsterdam adds a scheduled path for further increases; the Sepolia test network already runs at 200 million.

Gas fee limit increases. Validators raised the block gas limit from 30 million to 60 million gas during 2025, letting more transactions fit in each block. Glamsterdam adds a scheduled path for further increases; the Sepolia test network already runs at 200 million.

• Glamsterdam. The next upgrade includes access lists for each block (EIP-7928), which tell nodes in advance which accounts and storage a block touches so transactions can be processed in parallel, plus gas cost repricing. As of October 29, 2026, it's live on the Sepolia test network. Ethereum's core developers postponed its October 26 Hoodi test network activation to study one of the gas pricing changes, and no mainnet date has been set, the Ethereum Foundation announced.

Glamsterdam. The next upgrade includes , which tell nodes in advance which accounts and storage a block touches so transactions can be processed in parallel, plus gas cost repricing. As of October 29, 2026, it's live on the Sepolia test network. Ethereum's core developers to study one of the gas pricing changes, and no mainnet date has been set, the Ethereum Foundation announced.

How wallets work across EVM networks

A self-custodial wallet built for Ethereum can use the same account, with the same 0x address and Private Key, on Ethereum, its layer 2s, and EVM layer 1s without creating a new account for each. This is because EVM-compatible networks share one account format. To switch networks, the wallet only needs each network's connection details: its chain ID and an RPC endpoint, the node address the wallet connects to. Many self-custodial wallets, including MetaMask, also support networks outside the EVM like Bitcoin and Solana, in one app, by managing a separate address in each network's format.

Frequently asked questions about EVM networks

• No. The EVM is not a blockchain itself, it is the execution environment that runs inside each Ethereum node. Ethereum's blockchain is the record of blocks and transactions; the EVM is what processes the smart contract code in those transactions.

No. The EVM is not a blockchain itself, it is the execution environment that runs inside each Ethereum node. Ethereum's blockchain is the record of blocks and transactions; the EVM is what processes the smart contract code in those transactions.

• An EVM-compatible network can run smart contracts written for Ethereum, using the same instruction set, address format, and developer tools. Smart contracts and Ethereum wallets usually work across these networks with little or no change.

An EVM-compatible network can run smart contracts written for Ethereum, using the same instruction set, address format, and developer tools. Smart contracts and Ethereum wallets usually work across these networks with little or no change.

• The EVM runs bytecode, made up of basic instructions called opcodes. Developers usually write contracts in Solidity or Vyper and compile them to bytecode before deployment.

The EVM runs bytecode, made up of basic instructions called opcodes. Developers usually write contracts in Solidity or Vyper and compile them to bytecode before deployment.

• No. Solana uses its own runtime and programs written mainly in Rust. Some projects offer EVM environments that run on top of Solana, but Solana's main network isn't EVM-compatible.

No. Solana uses its own runtime and programs written mainly in Rust. Some projects offer EVM environments that run on top of Solana, but Solana's main network isn't EVM-compatible.

• Each EVM operation uses gas aka network fees, so transactions that involve more work to process use more gas. A simple ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas, while writing new data to storage or calling several contracts uses far more. What that gas costs in network fees depends on demand for block space; see Ethereum gas fees explained.

Each EVM operation uses gas aka network fees, so transactions that involve more work to process use more gas. A simple ETH transfer uses 21,000 gas, while writing new data to storage or calling several contracts uses far more. What that gas costs in network fees depends on demand for block space; see Ethereum gas fees explained.

This Article is written by:

• MetaMaskMetaMask, formerly Consensys Software Inc, is the world's largest self-custodial financial platform, giving people a single place to hold, spend, save and grow their money across both crypto and traditional assets. The company is building the consumer platform where that happens, bringing payments, savings, investing and digital assets together in one seamless experience. Having grown from the world's most widely used self-custodial wallet, MetaMask gives users direct control over their money and assets, with reach across approximately 190 countries. MetaMask has played a foundational role in Ethereum's growth since 2016. Today, MetaMask sits at the center of the blockchain economy, building the operating system for Open Money and putting people in full control of their financial lives.Read all articles

MetaMask, formerly Consensys Software Inc, is the world's largest self-custodial financial platform, giving people a single place to hold, spend, save and grow their money across both crypto and traditional assets. The company is building the consumer platform where that happens, bringing payments, savings, investing and digital assets together in one seamless experience. Having grown from the world's most widely used self-custodial wallet, MetaMask gives users direct control over their money and assets, with reach across approximately 190 countries. MetaMask has played a foundational role in Ethereum's growth since 2016. Today, MetaMask sits at the center of the blockchain economy, building the operating system for Open Money and putting people in full control of their financial lives.

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