Move-based blockchains have seen a significant rise in total value locked (TVL) this year. According to DefiLlama, Sui has jumped by 233%, while Aptos has grown by 210%. Rushi Manche, co-founder of Movement Labs, suggests that ensuring compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) could further accelerate this growth.

"The main challenge for new systems is attracting developers and users. Many of the latest virtual machine languages understand that without EVM compatibility, growth is limited in the first few years," Manche shared with Crypto Briefing.

Ethereum's mainnet controls over 67% of all decentralized finance TVL. This dominance means new blockchains with unique virtual machines must ensure they are compatible with EVM to thrive. Movement’s M2, the first layer-2 blockchain based on Move that supports EVM applications, aims to bridge the gap between these ecosystems. Currently in its development phase, M2 plans to launch its testnet and mainnet later this year.

Move was initially created by Meta for their Diem crypto project. However, after Diem was halted due to regulatory issues, former Meta employees formed two separate projects, Aptos and Sui.

"Movement is more than just a blockchain," Manche explained. "It’s a network where anyone can launch their customized high-speed rollup on Ethereum using the Move Virtual Machine. This can be done with frameworks like OP stack, Polygon CDK, or Arbitrum Orbit."

Manche likened the combination of EVM and Move to advancements in the tech industry, where new technology maintains backward compatibility with older versions. He compared it to Sony PlayStation consoles, where newer models support games from previous generations.

"EVM compatibility allows us to integrate legacy software. If you want to run Uniswap, Aave, or migrate code from Arbitrum, the EVM interpreter is the best way to do that," he said.

Despite this, Manche believes the future of smart contracts will rely more on Move and Rust programming languages for their long-term use and performance.

In conclusion, while Move-based blockchains are experiencing substantial growth, their future success may depend heavily on EVM compatibility, which can help attract developers and users from the broader Ethereum ecosystem.