This move aims to attract developers and expand the capabilities of the XRP Ledger, bringing new use cases to its ecosystem.
Cross-border payments company Ripple has announced that it will add smart contracts to the XRP Ledger (XRPL) development ecosystem.
Ripple said the move would open up a variety of use cases for users, developers, and entrepreneurs. It aims to attract developers to utilize the XRPL’s expanded capabilities. According to Ripple, the smart contracts functionality is expected to go live “in the coming months” on XRPL’s Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain.
Additionally, Ripple announced that smart contracts will also be available on the XRPL mainnet. However, the cross-border solutions company clarified that it is still in the research phase and did not provide a specific timeline for the rollout.
Collaboration with DeFi developers
Smart contracts are self-executing contracts stored on the blockchain. They progress automatically when certain conditions are met. Smart contracts are programs that manage transactions and agreements without the need for intermediaries.
Smart contracts have many potential applications, ranging from decentralized finance (DeFi) to supply chains. They are used to develop decentralized applications (DApps) on popular blockchain platforms like Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, and Solana.
Ripple said they are “eager” to collaborate with DeFi developers and want community members to provide suggestions on design specifications. The organization has invited programmers familiar with EVM languages to explore the possibilities on its sidechain.
Ripple also clarified that the sidechain was created for developers using Ethereum-based smart contracts. This provides a familiar environment to deploy DApps, allowing them to use Solidity, a programming language used to build smart contracts on Ethereum.
Bringing EVM Compatibility to XRP
According to Ripple, smart contracts will enter the XRPL ecosystem via the sidechain they developed with blockchain company Peersyst. The company believes that this new development will help the blockchain attract more developers. Ripple wrote:
“This sidechain will bring Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility to the XRP community, allowing developers to use familiar tools and programming languages, expanding the appeal of the XRP Ledger to a global developer community.”
The company also added that momentum to increase XRPL's programmability will accelerate further in 2025, as the organization continues to move toward its goal of adding smart contracts to the mainnet.
