Polkadot Hub vs Moonbeam: What’s the Difference for Smart Contract Developers?

Polkadot has recently achieved significant milestones as part of its Polkadot 2.0 roadmap. Asynchronous backingGo to page https://polkadot.com/newsroom/press-releases/asynchronous-backing-launched/ served as the foundation for allowing Moonbeam to reduce its block time from 12 seconds to 6. The introduction of Agile CoretimeGo to page https://polkadot.com/agile-coretime/ enabled better utilization of validation resources and is paving the way for the upcoming release of Elastic ScalingGo to page https://polkadot.com/blog/elastic-scaling-streamling-growth-on-polkadot/. This new feature will allow Moonbeam (and any other chain on Polkadot) to scale beyond a single core (or validation slot), enabling the production of multiple blocks within one Polkadot validation slot. As a result, Elastic Scaling can unlock dynamic throughput increases for Moonbeam that adjust according to blockspace demand.

Another major component of the Polkadot 2025 roadmap is the introduction of the PolkaVMGo to page [object Object], a RISC-V-based virtual machine. This VM will go live on Polkadot Hub (formerly known as Asset Hub, or Statemint) in Q3 2025, bringing smart contract capabilities to the system chain. In addition, the Parity team is developing functionality to introduce a degree of Ethereum compatibility on Polkadot Hub. This will allow developers to deploy Solidity 0.8.0+ smart contracts to Polkadot Hub’s PolkaVM with minimal code changes.

But if Polkadot Hub will support Ethereum compatibility, what does that mean for Moonbeam—and what role will it play in the Polkadot ecosystem?

Ethereum Compatibility vs EVM Compatibility

First, let’s clarify the difference between Ethereum compatibility and EVM compatibility.

Ethereum compatibility refers to the ability to execute Solidity-based (or other Ethereum smart contract language) programs in an environment outside of Ethereum itself. However, developers may need to make some changes to the underlying code. It also includes support for Ethereum-compatible JSON-RPC endpoints (which allow tools/apps to connect to an Ethereum node), enabling users to connect wallets like MetaMask or use development tools such as Hardhat and Foundry.

EVM compatibility, on the other hand, means that a network offers an environment nearly identical to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This allows developers to deploy and run smart contracts without modifying the code. The network can run EVM bytecode directly, meaning contracts can be deployed across different EVM-compatible platforms with the exact same bytecode.

As a result, when a network is Ethereum-compatible but not EVM-compatible, it may behave differently by design. Developers might need to adapt their code to ensure that the program behaves as intended, and some tools (such as tracing or block explorers) might not work out of the box. In contrast, EVM-compatible networks are expected to behave just like Ethereum, ensuring seamless deployments and tooling support.

So, while Ethereum compatibility does not guarantee EVM compatibility, EVM compatibility generally implies Ethereum compatibility.

Polkadot Hub is an Ethereum-compatible network.

Moonbeam is an EVM-compatible network.

PolkaVM vs EVM

Another important point to note is that Ethereum’s EVM and PolkaVM are fundamentally different. On one hand, there are core technological differences—such as the architecture of the virtual machine. On the other hand, there are also application-layer distinctions that affect how developers interact with each virtual machine.

The EVM processes EVM bytecode (essentially instructions written in an EVM-compatible language) to execute state transitions. For example, if Alice has 10 tokens of an ERC-20 token and transfers 5 to Bob, the EVM bytecode instructs the EVM to carry out that transfer. As a result, both Alice and Bob would have 5 tokens each after the transaction is executed.

PolkaVM, on the other hand, uses RISC-V instructions, which are entirely different from EVM bytecode. Therefore, if a developer writes a Solidity program, it must be compiled into PolkaVM bytecode (or machine code) instead of EVM bytecode. Since the code is being translated into a different instruction set, there may be limitations and behavioral differences in how programs execute within the virtual machine. This is why Polkadot Hub offers some degree of Ethereum compatibility, but not full EVM compatibility.

Moonbeam remains the most EVM-compatible (and therefore Ethereum-compatible) ecosystem within Polkadot—period. Polkadot Hub chose to adopt a RISC-V-based virtual machine due to its flexibility and performance, even though it only supports partial Ethereum compatibility.

Moonbeam beyond its EVM

While Moonbeam’s core strength lies in its unmatched EVM compatibility, allowing developers to deploy existing Ethereum-based applications with minimal changes, it is also evolving beyond just being an EVM environment by introducing native support for decentralized storage.

Through the integration of Storage HubGo to page [object Object], Moonbeam will provide an efficient, decentralized storage layer that enables data to be accessed, used, and managed seamlessly. This storage layer is designed not only for use within Moonbeam, but also to be accessible across the entire Polkadot ecosystem via XCM, enabling true interoperability.

Moreover, thanks to Moonbeam’s combination of EVM compatibility and remote execution capabilities, development teams can build extensible and programmable dApps that incorporate decentralized storage, and manage them remotely from their own sovereign chains, all within the shared security and consensus model provided by Polkadot.

In essence, Moonbeam is positioning itself as more than just an EVM-compatible blockchain. It’s becoming a programmable, interoperable platform that bridges smart contract execution and decentralized storage, opening the door to more robust, data-rich Web3 applications.