Ethereum Virtual Machine
a.k.a. EVM, EVM-compatible
The shared computing engine that runs smart contracts on Ethereum, copied by many other blockchains.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the engine inside Ethereum that actually runs smart contracts. Every node runs the same code the same way and must land on exactly the same result, so the whole network agrees on what happened.
Developers usually write contracts in Solidity, which compiles down to instructions the EVM understands. Many other chains, BNB Chain among them, are "EVM-compatible": they copy the engine so Ethereum apps and wallets work on them with little change.
Keep this word for good
Your free Private Swap Lounge saves the terms you’ve learned and quizzes you on them. Portal under construction. Expected delivery date is December 01, 2026.