EVM vs. SVM vs. Canton (Daml): Choosing the Right Engine for the Future of Finance

A comparison of three blockchain virtual machines: EVM (Ethereum), SVM (Solana), and Canton/Daml. EVM is the industry standard with the largest ecosystem but sequential execution and high costs. SVM offers parallel transaction processing via Sealevel for high-throughput use cases. Canton with Daml targets institutional finance with privacy-preserving, distributed execution suited for CBDCs and asset tokenization. The conclusion is a multi-VM future where each serves a distinct niche: EVM for DeFi, SVM for performance apps, and Canton for regulated finance.