Plain meaning
Start with the shortest useful explanation before going deeper.
An Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility layer that runs on Solana, enabling developers to deploy and execute Solidity smart contracts on Solana without code changes. Neon EVM translates Ethereum transactions into Solana transactions, giving Solidity developers access to Solana's speed and low costs while maintaining EVM tooling compatibility (Hardhat, MetaMask, Ethers.js).