<p>&quot;Virtual machine&quot; in this context is really just a fancy word for bytecode interpreter. Bitcoin's script language is certainly far simpler than Ethereum's EVM, and its functionalities are in many ways intentionally limited, but I don't think you can call one a VM without also including the other.</p>
<p>Ultimately this question is one about the semantics of what is considered a VM, which is probably more an opinion-based one than a technical one.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-06T00:26:36.013Z
2021-09-06T00:26:36.013Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>I always thought that between Bitcoin and Ethereum only the latter had a virtual machine.</p>
<p>The answer to <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57173/why-are-virtual-machines-used-in-ethereum">this</a> thread opened my eyes to the fact that Bitcoin actual has a virtual machine. However, I wonder if there's a distinction between the two in terms of what is being categorized as 'virtual machine'. For instance, the EVM can run smart contracts. It's unclear to me whether one can do something similar in the Bitcoin virtual machine. But then again this distinction may not be necessary nor sufficient to claim that Bitcoin does not have a virtual machine similar to Ethereum's.</p>

<script><ethereum><terminology><ethereum-vm>
Is it correct to say that Bitcoin has a virtual machine in the same way as Ethereum does?
StatsScared
# Is it correct to say that Bitcoin has a virtual machine in the same way as Ethereum does?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-05)

I always thought that between Bitcoin and Ethereum only the latter had a virtual machine.

The answer to [this](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57173/why-are-virtual-machines-used-in-ethereum) thread opened my eyes to the fact that Bitcoin actual has a virtual machine. However, I wonder if there's a distinction between the two in terms of what is being categorized as 'virtual machine'. For instance, the EVM can run smart contracts. It's unclear to me whether one can do something similar in the Bitcoin virtual machine. But then again this distinction may not be necessary nor sufficient to claim that Bitcoin does not have a virtual machine similar to Ethereum's.

**Tags:** script, ethereum, terminology, ethereum-vm


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-06. Score: 12

"Virtual machine" in this context is really just a fancy word for bytecode interpreter. Bitcoin's script language is certainly far simpler than Ethereum's EVM, and its functionalities are in many ways intentionally limited, but I don't think you can call one a VM without also including the other.

Ultimately this question is one about the semantics of what is considered a VM, which is probably more an opinion-based one than a technical one.


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