Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and Gas Optimization Flashcards
7 cards from real Ethereum Developer practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and Gas Optimization flashcards as text
What is the primary function of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)?
Answer: To execute smart contract bytecode in a sandboxed environment
The EVM executes smart contract bytecode in an isolated, deterministic sandboxed environment across all Ethereum nodes.
What is the native word size of the Ethereum Virtual Machine?
Answer: 256 bits
The EVM uses a 256-bit word size, aligning with Ethereum's 256-bit cryptographic hash functions (keccak256).
Which of the following is NOT a valid data location in the EVM?
Answer: Cache
The EVM has four data locations—stack, memory, storage, and calldata—cache does not exist as a distinct EVM data location.
What does the EVM opcode SSTORE do?
Answer: Writes a value from the stack into persistent contract storage
SSTORE pops a key and value from the stack and writes the 32-byte value into the contract's persistent storage at that key.
What is Ethereum bytecode?
Answer: Low-level instructions executed directly by the EVM
Bytecode is the compiled, low-level instruction set that the EVM directly interprets and executes during transactions.
What is the maximum stack depth of the EVM?
Answer: 1024 items
The EVM stack has a maximum depth of 1024 items; exceeding this limit causes a stack overflow and reverts execution.
What is the key difference between CALL and DELEGATECALL opcodes?
Answer: DELEGATECALL executes the target's code in the caller's storage context
DELEGATECALL runs the target contract's code but uses the calling contract's storage, msg.sender, and msg.value, which is fundamental to proxy patterns.