XRP Ledger's (XRPL) EVM Sidechain to Go Live in Q2 2025

Decentralized Layer 1 blockchain XRP Ledger's (XRPL) sidechain that's compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is set to go live in the second quarter

Decentralized Layer 1 blockchain XRP Ledger (XRPL) is set to launch its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain in the second quarter, Jaazi Cooper, director of product management at Ripple, and David Schwartz, Ripple’s chief technology officer said at the APEX 2025 conference in Singapore.

The development, which was first announced last year, will enable the XRPL to execute Ethereum-based decentralized applications and smart contracts.

It will also allow users to potentially generate yield through DeFi applications, such as liquidity pools, and smart contract interactions.

The XRPL EVM sidechain testnet went live earlier this year and is rapidly growing, according to Peersyst Technologies (formerly Blockfolio).

"87 new entities - with no prior XRP involvement - are now contributing to the ecosystem: infrastructure, apps, and demand generation," the cryptocurrency analytics firm said on X. "When mainnet goes live, all of it becomes part of the XRP ecosystem - possibly the biggest onboarding in XRP history."

87 new entities (vs. 0 in December) are now building on XRPL.

No prior XRP involvement. All new to the ecosystem. From mainnet launch, they'll be part of the XRP ecosystem.

For context:

Tier 1 crypto is being built out by newcomers.

Possibly biggest onboarding in XRP history. pic.twitter.com/ZVmC62Zt0c

— Peersyst Technologies (@PeersystTech) March 20, 2025

Earlier this year, Payersyst Technologies reported that the XRPL EVM testnet had seen "explosive growth" in the past few months.

In January, the crypto analytics firm said that the XRPL EVM testnet had attracted contributions from 34 distinct entities, including cryptocurrency exchange Gate.io and blockchain infrastructure firm AnChain.

However, by March, the number of contributors to the XRPL EVM sidechain testnet had more than doubled.

According to a report by crypto news outlet Token Post, the XRPL EVM sidechain testnet is rapidly approaching its launch. Citing an interview with Beni Chidi, head of product at ChainShot, with an undisclosed publication, the report noted that the testnet is quickly gaining momentum.

Earlier this year, XRPL announced that its native token, XRP, would be integrated into the capabilities of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

This integration aims to facilitate the creation of hybrid cross-chain applications that can seamlessly operate within both the XRPL and the EVM ecosystems.

Moreover, XRPL is planning to introduce its own Web3 programming language, which will be written in a concise and readable syntax, aiming to simplify the development of decentralized applications.