What is the name of the virtual machine that executes smart contracts on Ethereum?

The Ethereum Virtual Machine is the virtual machine that executes smart contracts on Ethereum. It provides a shared execution environment in which every full node can process the same contract instructions and verify the resulting state.

The EVM is not a physical computer. It is a software specification with its own instruction set, memory model, stack, and rules for charging computation costs. Smart contracts are commonly written in languages such as Solidity and compiled into EVM bytecode before deployment.

Execution costs are paid in gas, which helps prevent unlimited computation and discourages spam. The EVM also influenced compatible networks, including several blockchains designed to run Ethereum-style contracts. Ethereum’s account and contract state changes only become authoritative when accepted into the blockchain.