EVM vs. Non-EVM ? - What's the Difference? | Shardeum

EVM and Non-EVM Chains: What is the Difference?

TO EVM OR NOT TO EVM IS THE QUESTION! DID WE DO HAMLET IN BLOCKCHAIN? BUT DON’T THE DEVELOPERS FACE THE ‘HAMLET’S DILEMMA’ WHEN CHOOSING BETWEEN EVM VS NON-EVM CHAINS? YES, FOR BLOCKCHAIN DEVELOPERS, IT IS OFTEN HARD TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO GO FOR AN EVM-COMPATIBLE NETWORK OR A NON-EVM-COMPATIBLE NETWORK. WELL, WE DECIDED TO PUT UP A CASE FOR BOTH AND LET YOU BE THE BETTER JUDGE OF WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE. HERE ARE THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EVM VS. NON-EVM CHAINS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

What is Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and How is it Important? 

The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) can be called the heart and soul of the Ethereum network. It is also the platform for the deployment and execution of smart contracts. The physical instantiation of the EVM cannot be described in the same way as a cloud or an ocean wave, but it exists as a single entity maintained by thousands of connected computers running an Ethereum client.

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There are other blockchains that have taken a different path than EVM compatibility.

However, not being EVM-compatible can be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Notably, given its speed and low fees, Algorand could have been a thriving DeFi ecosystem. However, only two DApps have been deployed on Algorand thus far. Despite this fact, it is evident that non-EVM chains have more room for innovation because the limitations of Ethereum do not constrain them.

What is the Difference Between EVM and Non-EVM Chains? 

The debate over EVM vs. Non-EVM chains has been going on for quite some time. Although EVM virtual machines and EVM chains appear to be the clear winners, the presence of nonEVM chains such as Solana makes the fight worth watching. The primary requirement for evaluating a public chain platform is EVM compatibility.

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Non-EVM compatible chains, on the other hand, are more likely to grow in trending categories and niches where new ideas are emerging. Diverse public chains can thrive in areas such as NFTs, GameFi, and payments. Let’s look at each of their pros and cons to understand the actual scenario in Ethereum Virtual Machine vs. Non-Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible.

Pros and Cons of EVM Compatible 

Pros of EVM Compatible Chains

The Ethereum Virtual Machine is the software platform that allows developers to build decentralized applications (DApps) on Ethereum. All Ethereum accounts and smart contracts are stored on this virtual machine. EVM is easily scalable and migratable from the Ether ecosystem.

Users have easier access to projects here. Every project is working to speed up transactions, add multi-chain functionality, and do other things. For example, Polkadot has added Moonbeam and NEAR has launched Aurora. 

Cons of EVM Compatible

EVM is too complex to be safe due to the stiffness of its bytecode language and native functionality, and it lacks sufficient features of a proper virtual machine to be safe by design.

Furthermore, because of Ethereum and EVM rules, it is less innovative. Many features and critical components of the EVM’s execution model are left unhandled, forcing language designers to implement them manually.