What is the main purpose of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)?

The main purpose of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is to execute smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. It is a decentralized, Turing-complete virtual machine that allows developers to write and deploy smart contracts in a secure and trustless manner. The EVM ensures that all smart contracts are executed exactly as programmed, without any possibility of censorship, fraud, or third-party interference. It plays a crucial role in enabling the decentralized applications (dApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem on the Ethereum network.

To execute smart contracts