XRP Ledger Deploys EVM-Compatible Sidechain to Expand Multichain Utility

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has officially launched its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain on mainnet — marking a major milestone in its effort to bridge XRP’s payment efficiency with Ethereum’s smart contract capabilities.

The new XRPL EVM Sidechain allows developers to build and deploy Ethereum-compatible decentralized applications (dApps) directly within the XRP ecosystem, offering full support for tools like Solidity and the Ethereum toolchain. This development creates opportunities for a broader range of use cases including tokenization, decentralized finance (DeFi), and cross-chain payments — all while benefiting from XRPL’s fast and cost-effective infrastructure.

A Technical Collaboration to Enhance Interoperability

The sidechain was built through a joint effort by Ripple, blockchain infrastructure firm Peersyst, and cross-chain protocol Axelar. Based on Evmos’ software framework, the XRPL EVM operates as a parallel blockchain — connected to the XRP Ledger mainnet through Axelar’s bridging system. Wrapped XRP serves as the gas token for the network, enabling seamless transfers between the XRPL and EVM environments.

Ripple CTO and XRPL co-creator David Schwartz highlighted the strategic advantage of this architecture, saying the integration allows developers to explore programmable smart contracts while preserving the speed and reliability of the core XRP Ledger.

Peersyst: “Day 1 of a Bigger Journey”

Peersyst founder and CEO Ferran Prat described the launch as a transformative step for XRP. “This is the beginning of a larger path toward multichain interoperability and scalable utility,” he said. Prat emphasized that the new sidechain positions XRP to operate more freely across the broader Web3 ecosystem.

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Axelar’s co-founder Georgios Vlachos also weighed in, stating that institutional and enterprise interest in blockchain is accelerating. He noted that the XRPL EVM Sidechain, supported by Axelar’s secure infrastructure, is well-placed to capture this momentum.

Early Adoption and Ecosystem Support

According to details shared with The Block, several projects have already committed to building on the new sidechain, including DeFi protocols like Band Protocol, Grove, and Squid. Additional integrations from platforms like Strobe, Securd, and Vertex are expected soon. Tooling support is being provided by Blockscout and Goldsky, and the ecosystem is preparing to integrate Wormhole — a cross-chain protocol that links over 200 applications across 35+ blockchains.

With the mainnet launch now complete, the XRPL EVM Sidechain signals a new chapter for XRP — one focused on interoperability, programmability, and multi-chain scalability.

Kosta Gushterov

Kosta has been working in the crypto industry for over 4 years. He strives to present different perspectives on a given topic and enjoys the sector for its transparency and dynamism. In his work, he focuses on balanced coverage of events and developments in the crypto space, providing information to his readers from a neutral perspective.