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What is the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)?
Welcome to the cryptohunt jam where we spend one minute a day explaining crypto. In plain English.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine - EVM in short - is Ethereum's secret sauce. But what does it actually do?
The Ethereum Virtual Machine is the software that runs Ethereum's smart contracts. And because that explanation isn't all that helpful, let's use an analogy.
Take the game of football. Football has specific rules, and - within those - you can play the game in any way you want. But there are things you need, most notably a playing field.
Those fields can be anywhere, and you can play your games on any of them as long as they are of the right size, have the right markings, etc. In other words, they have to meet a certain standard.
Those football fields are like the Ethereum Virtual Machine. The EVM is a standardized environment that allows smart contracts to run on any Ethereum computer. The smart contracts are like your football game: Computer programs that say: If this happens, do that. For example: If someone sends money here, send half of it to this other wallet that belongs to a charity.
Standardization is the magic ingredient: Just like you can play football on any standard field, the smart contracts will run on Ethereum, no matter what computer is processing them.
And that's really what made Ethereum special when it came out: The ability to do more with money than just move it from A to B. And thanks to the EVM and smart contracts, this works all the time.
Disclaimer: This podcast references our opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Do your own research and seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
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What is the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)?
Welcome to the cryptohunt jam where we spend one minute a day explaining crypto. In plain English.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine - EVM in short - is Ethereum's secret sauce. But what does it actually do?
The Ethereum Virtual Machine is the software that runs Ethereum's smart contracts. And because that explanation isn't all that helpful, let's use an analogy.
Take the game of football. Football has specific rules, and - within those - you can play the game in any way you want. But there are things you need, most notably a playing field.
Those fields can be anywhere, and you can play your games on any of them as long as they are of the right size, have the right markings, etc. In other words, they have to meet a certain standard.
Those football fields are like the Ethereum Virtual Machine. The EVM is a standardized environment that allows smart contracts to run on any Ethereum computer. The smart contracts are like your football game: Computer programs that say: If this happens, do that. For example: If someone sends money here, send half of it to this other wallet that belongs to a charity.
Standardization is the magic ingredient: Just like you can play football on any standard field, the smart contracts will run on Ethereum, no matter what computer is processing them.
And that's really what made Ethereum special when it came out: The ability to do more with money than just move it from A to B. And thanks to the EVM and smart contracts, this works all the time.
Disclaimer: This podcast references our opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Do your own research and seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.