An intro to Tendermint Virtual Machine (TVM)

What is TVM?

TVM stands for “Tendermint Virtual Machine” (TVM) which is a virtual machine that is used to execute smart contracts on the Tendermint blockchain platform.

TVM is a lightweight, stack-based virtual machine that is designed to be fast, secure, and efficient. It is designed to execute smart contracts written in a variety of programming languages, including Solidity, the programming language used by Ethereum. The TVM provides an environment for the execution of smart contracts where the state of the smart contract is stored in a Merkle tree.

TVM is also used in other blockchain platforms that use the Tendermint consensus engine, such as the Cosmos SDK, which is a modular framework for building customizable blockchain networks.

EVM vs TVM

TVM (Tendermint Virtual Machine) and EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) are both virtual machines that are used to execute smart contracts on their respective blockchain platforms.

The main difference between the two is that EVM is used on the Ethereum blockchain network and TVM is used on Tendermint-based blockchain networks.

Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the runtime environment for smart contracts in Ethereum. It is a stack-based virtual machine that can execute code written in its own programming language called Solidity. EVM is designed to be Turing-complete, meaning it can execute any computable function, but this generality comes at the cost of lower performance.

On the other hand, Tendermint Virtual Machine (TVM) is designed to be a lightweight, stack-based virtual machine that is designed to be fast, secure, and efficient. It is designed to execute smart contracts written in a variety of programming languages, not just in its own programming language like EVM. Additionally, TVM provides an environment for the execution of smart contracts where the state of the smart contract is stored in a Merkle tree which provides more security and allows for faster verification of the contract’s state.

TVM Key Projects

Tendermint Virtual Machine (TVM) is a virtual machine that is used to execute smart contracts on Tendermint-based blockchain networks. Here are a few examples of blockchains that support the TVM:

Cosmos-SDK: Cosmos-SDK is a modular framework for building customizable blockchain networks. It uses the Tendermint consensus engine and the TVM to execute smart contracts.

Binance Smart Chain (BSC): Binance Smart Chain is a high-performance blockchain that is built on the Tendermint consensus engine. It supports the TVM for executing smart contracts.

IRISnet: IRISnet is a blockchain platform that is built on the Cosmos-SDK. It uses the Tendermint consensus engine and the TVM to execute smart contracts, and it is focused on providing a decentralized infrastructure for businesses and organizations.

Terra Station: Terra Station is a blockchain platform that is built on the Tendermint consensus engine and the TVM. It aims to provide a scalable and low-cost infrastructure for digital assets and decentralized applications.

Lino: Lino is a decentralized video content distribution platform that uses the TVM to execute smart contracts.

Clotho: Clotho is a blockchain platform that aims to provide a decentralized and trustless ecosystem for the development of web3 applications. It is built on the Cosmos-SDK, which is a modular framework for building customizable blockchain networks, and it utilizes the Tendermint consensus engine.

These are few examples of blockchains that support the TVM, there are many more in the market.