Understanding the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
The EVM is a crucial component of the Ethereum blockchain, responsible for executing smart contracts and managing state changes. In this article, we'll delve into the inner workings of the EVM, exploring how data is stored and manipulated throughout transactions.
The EVM has six areas where data can be stored: stack, memory, call, storage, code, and gas. The top four areas – stack, memory, call, and storage – are essential for understanding the EVM's functionality.
The stack is a temporary area that stores data temporarily, with a maximum capacity of 1024 items. Memory has a specific layout, with reserved space for Solidity to perform hashing and other operations. Storage is permanent and holds contract state changes.
The EVM also uses OPCODEs (operation codes) to execute instructions. These OPCODEs interact with the stack, memory, and storage areas, allowing smart contracts to manipulate data.
For a deeper understanding of how the EVM works, we can explore an example transaction using the Ethereum Virtual Machine Playground. This interactive tool allows us to visualize the execution of OPCODEs and see how they affect the stack, memory, and storage areas.
Source: https://dev.to/dhanyosmi/understanding-evmethereum-virtual-machine-2dh7