Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
The EVM is the runtime environment where Ethereum smart contracts execute, identically on every node.
In depth
It is a "world computer" with one shared state: when a contract runs, every node performs the same computation and reaches the same result. Many other chains (BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche) are EVM-compatible, so the same contracts and wallets work across them. This shared standard is a big reason Ethereum’s ecosystem is so large.
Why it matters
EVM compatibility is why the same address and tools work across several popular networks.