Ripple is preparing to bring smart contracts to its XRP Ledger (XRPL) developer ecosystem as it expands use cases for users, developers, and entrepreneurs.
The new feature is set to launch “in the coming months” on the XRPL Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain, as announced by the company.
Ripple stated that the addition of smart contracts will attract more developers to use XRPL’s expanded capabilities. The company also revealed that smart contracts would eventually be deployed on the XRPL mainnet, although a specific timeline for this has not yet been provided, as the project is still in its research phase.
Smart contracts are self-executing agreements that automatically carry out transactions when certain conditions are met, eliminating the need for intermediaries. They are widely used across various blockchain platforms like Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, and Solana for developing decentralized applications (DApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions.
“Progress towards smart contract functionality is already underway in the XRP Ledger ecosystem with the XRPL EVM sidechain,” Ripple noted on Monday. “This sidechain will bring Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility to the XRP community, allowing developers to use familiar tools and languages.”
Ripple showed strong interest in working with DeFi developers and encouraged community members to get involved in the design process. The company invited programmers familiar with EVM-compatible languages to explore new developments on the sidechain, which provides a familiar environment for those used to Ethereum-based smart contracts.
Ripple explained that this sidechain was specifically developed with blockchain firm Peersyst to introduce EVM compatibility to the XRP Ledger. The sidechain allows developers to use Ethereum’s Solidity programming language, making it easier to build and deploy DApps on the XRPL network.
Ripple started testing Ethereum smart contracts on the XRPL in 2022. The XRPL EVM sidechain will allow token transfers between XRPL and 55 other blockchains, using eXRP as the native asset and gas token.
The company also expects its efforts to boost the programmability of XRPL to pick up speed in 2025 as it moves closer to integrating smart contracts into the mainnet.
