> Java and its JVM

WASM shares more ideas with CIL than the JVM, especially when we have a look at the WASM proposals in progress. CIL and Pascal P-Code in contrast to JVM support e.g. value objects which supports applications with less dynamic memory management; JVM requires a dynamic allocation for each fly speck and thus powerful compacting collectors to cope with it. In WASM the memory management strategy is up to the application.

> The fact that browsers support WebAssembly natively

I was referring to the "elsewhere" case, where WASM seems to flourish, not the browser. And the social factor is definitely important, but I'm more interested what WASM is supposed to deliver we don't already have on a technical level.