According to Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin), the proposal to shift Ethereum's execution layer towards a RISC-V or other zero-knowledge (ZK)-friendly virtual machine (VM) is motivated by the potential to enhance scalability and efficiency for zkEVM rollups. This shift could reduce computational overhead and improve verification speed for ZK proofs, which is especially relevant for trading strategies relying on fast and cost-effective on-chain settlement (source: Vitalik Buterin, Twitter, May 3, 2025). Traders should monitor developments in VM architecture, as the adoption of RISC-V could increase throughput and lower transaction costs on Ethereum, directly impacting trading execution and arbitrage opportunities.