All terms
The Ethereum Virtual Machine, the runtime most chains have standardized on.
The EVM is the environment smart contracts execute in. It defines the instruction set, the gas costs and the state model.
Because so many chains adopted it, one contract can be deployed across dozens of networks and one wallet works everywhere. That network effect is why EVM compatibility is such a common selling point.
Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche and BNB Chain are all EVM compatible, which is why MetaMask works on all of them.
That EVM compatible means an app moves over unchanged. The bytecode runs, and the addresses, the tokens, the oracles, the bridges and the liquidity do not come with it. Compatibility is a starting point for a deployment, not a migration.
Common questions
Why do so many chains use the EVM?
Can I use the same wallet address on every EVM chain?
Where to go next
More technology terms
Want this explained out loud?
Some of these land faster in conversation than in writing. Sessions are one to one and you can ask anything, including the things that feel too obvious to ask.