In context: The RISC-V chip architecture is just ten years old, while the x86 standard was first introduced in 1978. Yet, someone is trying to bring a somewhat working emulation of Intel's CPU technology to the newer, open-standard instruction set with moderately successful results.
Why it matters: RISC V pioneer SiFive has gone through several iterations, but has now solidified a business model that essentially positions it as a direct competitor to Arm. If they can continue to execute they will benefit from much of the very healthy RISC V momentum.
Highly anticipated: After betting on the future of RISC-V with an industry-wide alliance, Qualcomm is now bringing its first chip based on the open-source architecture to the mass market. The American chipmaker will join Google in creating a new hardware platform for the Wear OS system.