Can Monad Outperform the EVM? A 2025 Review of Its High-Speed Parallel Execution Engine

The blockchain industry in 2025 is defined by a relentless pursuit of execution efficiency. As decentralized applications (dApps) grow in complexity and user demand surges, the ability to process transactions quickly, securely, and sustainably has become a critical differentiator. Ethereum's Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) remains the gold standard for smart contract execution, but emerging Layer 1s like Monad are challenging its dominance with novel parallel execution engines. This article evaluates whether Monad's high-speed execution model can outperform the EVM in 2025, focusing on comparative execution efficiency and long-term viability as a Layer 1 solution.

The Execution Efficiency Divide: Sequential vs. Parallel

Ethereum's EVM has long relied on a sequential transaction processing model, where transactions are executed one after another to avoid conflicts. While this approach ensures determinism and security, it inherently limits throughput to 15–30 transactions per second (TPS) according to reports. In contrast, Monad's parallel execution engine leverages an optimistic concurrency model, allowing non-conflicting transactions to be processed simultaneously across CPU cores. This redesign enables Monad to achieve over 10,000 TPS, with sub-second finality according to data.

The key innovation lies in Monad's two-phase optimistic parallel execution (2PE) model. During the first phase, transactions are executed in parallel, assuming no conflicts. If conflicts are detected during the merge phase, conflicting transactions are re-executed sequentially. This approach minimizes overhead while maximizing throughput under low-contention scenarios. However, benchmarks from SupraBTM-a competing parallel execution framework-suggest that static analysis and proactive conflict prevention can yield even greater efficiency. SupraBTM reportedly achieves a 4× speedup over sequential execution and a 1.5–1.7× speedup over Monad, reducing execution time by 50% according to SupraBTM's analysis.

Latency and Finality: A New Benchmark

Latency and finality are critical for user experience and dApp performance. Ethereum's block time of 12 seconds and extended finality periods (often minutes) create bottlenecks for real-time applications according to reports. Monad, by contrast, targets a 1-second block time and achieves finality in ~0.8 seconds according to data. This improvement is enabled by decoupling execution from consensus, allowing both processes to operate in parallel. Such a design mirrors Solana's asynchronous model but integrates Ethereum's tooling and security guarantees, positioning Monad as a hybrid solution.

However, this parallelism introduces trade-offs. High-contention workloads-such as DeFi protocols with frequent shared state modifications-can degrade performance. In such scenarios, re-execution overhead and state bloat may reduce the benefits of parallel execution according to Atomic Wallet's analysis. This limitation underscores the importance of workload diversity in evaluating execution efficiency.

Energy Efficiency and Node Requirements: A Sustainable Edge?

Energy efficiency has become a non-negotiable criterion for blockchain adoption. Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) in 2022 reduced its energy consumption by 99.95% according to Solartech, but newer architectures like Monad's are pushing further. Monad's optimized consensus protocols and low-latency design reportedly enable high throughput with minimal energy consumption, outpacing Ethereum's PoS efficiency according to data.

Node requirements also highlight a divergence in decentralization strategies. Ethereum's PoS model supports over 1 million validators, fostering broad participation according to reports. Monad, however, operates with a smaller validator set of ~200 nodes, raising concerns about centralization risks in its early stages according to reports. While this structure enhances speed, it may deter adoption in markets prioritizing decentralization over performance.

Long-Term Viability: Ecosystem and Scalability Challenges

The EVM's dominance is not solely technical-it is underpinned by a mature ecosystem of developers, tools, and dApps. Ethereum's first-mover advantage and robust security guarantees make it a default choice for many projects. Monad's compatibility with the EVM allows it to inherit this ecosystem, but its long-term viability depends on attracting developers and users willing to trade Ethereum's decentralization for speed.

Scalability remains a wildcard. While parallel execution engines like Monad and SupraBTM demonstrate impressive benchmarks, real-world adoption will hinge on their ability to handle high-conflict workloads without compromising security or decentralization. Additionally, node pruning and snapshotting challenges under high throughput could emerge as technical hurdles according to Atomic Wallet's analysis.

Conclusion: A Promising Challenger, But Not a Certainty

Monad's parallel execution engine represents a significant leap forward in blockchain performance, offering Ethereum-like tooling with Solana-like speed. Its ability to process 10,000 TPS and achieve sub-second finality makes it a compelling option for high-throughput applications. However, the EVM's ecosystem, security track record, and decentralized validator network remain formidable advantages.

For investors, the key question is whether execution efficiency alone can drive adoption in a market that increasingly values decentralization and sustainability. While Monad's 2025 benchmarks position it as a strong contender, its long-term success will depend on addressing decentralization risks, optimizing for high-contention scenarios, and demonstrating real-world scalability. In the race to outperform the EVM, Monad has taken an aggressive step forward-but the EVM's entrenched position and continuous upgrades (e.g., sharding, proto-danksharding) ensure it remains a formidable benchmark.