With the official mainnet deployment of the XRPL EVM Sidechain, Ripple has made a revolutionary advancement for the XRP Ledger ecosystem. XRPL now supports Ethereum Virtual Machines (EVMs) thanks to the update.
With this release, developers will be able to utilize XRPL’s fast signatures, affordable pricing, and institutional-grade reliability. This enables them to implement Ethereum-based smart contracts and decentralized apps (dApps).
Through cooperation with Peersyst, Axelar, and the larger XRPL community, the launch was possible. It provides access to tokenization, cross-chain DeFi, and payments on a network that more than 6 million users trust.
How the XRPL Sidechain Operates
The XRPL EVM Sidechain operates as a parallel blockchain connected to the XRP Ledger mainnet via Axelar’s interoperability protocol, which links over 80 blockchains. Key technical innovations include:
- Wrapped XRP (eXRP) as the native gas token, ensuring seamless transactions and fee efficiency.
- Axelar Bridge for asset transfers, allowing users to move XRP between the XRPL mainnet and the EVM sidechain with 1:1 parity.
- EVM Compatibility: Developers can port existing Ethereum dApps to the EVM. These include Uniswap, Aave, or build new ones using Solidity, tapping into XRPL’s 12+ years of stability.
The sidechain addresses longstanding developer demand for programmability within XRPL’s secure environment. Previously, XRPL supported only limited native smart contracts, which restricted its DeFi and NFT potential. Projects can now build cross-chain dApps, access deep liquidity from XRPL’s ecosystem and Ethereum’s user base, and deploy in minutes using familiar tools like MetaMask and Truffle.
Ripple views XRPL as a hub for multi-chain innovation, with plans for Wormhole integration to facilitate cross-chain expansion across over 35 networks. With the debut, XRPL is transformed from a ledger that focuses on payments to a flexible smart contract platform. By combining XRPL’s proven architecture with Ethereum’s development environment, it offers DeFi builders seeking speed, scalability, and regulatory clarity a robust option.
XRP’s position in the cryptocurrency economy is poised to rise at an unprecedented rate as dApps migrate and cross-chain activity increases.
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