Blockchain with Support For Multiple Virtual Machines

What is it about?

Blockchain architecture is typically very rigid, making storage and RPC layers tied to the design of the blockchain virtual machine (VM). As a result, extending an existing system with a new (and usually better) virtual machine or creating a new system with support for multiple virtual machines without breaking compatibility with existing tooling becomes a hard task. We provide a framework for building a blockchain system that supports multiple VMs and can be adopted with most of the virtual machine designs available today.

Featured Image

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work is useful since it provides a framework for how to migrate blockchain systems to a more advanced versions of existing virtual machines, and how to build new systems that support multiple VMs at once. An example of why this work is useful is the present desire of Ethereum to migrate to zkEVM design from the traditional EVM design. Currently, the migration plan is estimated to take a couple of years so that the compatibility with existing smart contracts isn't lost and new smart contracts gradually start to be deployed on zkEVM. Our approach allows to seamlessly integrate both virtual machines in one system significantly reducing the time needed to migrate to zkEVM.