A Milestone in XRPL Development

Using a dual approach, Ripple has announced plans to introduce intelligent contract capabilities on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). This development marks an important milestone in enhancing the network's programmability.

Despite being one of the oldest networks, the XRPL does not feature intelligent contracts. Its closest rival, Stellar, enabled the functionality in February.

The XRPL community has been looking to introduce smart contracts through protocols like Hooks. However, emerging concerns have hindered progress.

Ripple, which plans to enable smart contracts through its EVM sidechain, has now announced a dual approach to reach the goal.

Ripple's Ambitious Plans

The announcement was made during Ripple's recent engagements in Korea and Japan. Ripple wants to boost the XRPL utility and usability, particularly for institutional adoption.

This initiative is part of its broader strategy to expand the XRPL developer ecosystem by adding programmability features, including smart contracts.

Ripple highlighted two key advancements that will drive this programmability: the introduction of native innovative contract capabilities on the XRPL Mainnet and the deployment of the XRPL EVM Sidechain. Both developments are to complement each other.

Enhancements to the XRPL Mainnet

The XRPL Mainnet will see enhancements that include new layer-1 features, such as smart contracts. This will allow developers to customize functionalities according to their specific needs without requiring broad community adoption.

Ripple also noted that introducing intelligent contract functionality on the Mainnet will be permissionless. This approach will minimize the impact on performance and cost, making it easier for new developers to learn and adapt to the XRPL ecosystem—the firm plans to launch an XLS proposal to assess how this can be achieved.

EVM Sidechain Development

Meanwhile, the XRPL EVM Sidechain, currently in development in collaboration with Peersyst, is another critical component of Ripple's plan to enhance programmability. The sidechain will bring EVM compatibility to the XRPL.

One of the standout features of the XRPL EVM Sidechain is its ability to integrate with over 55 other blockchains through Axelar. This bridge facilitates seamless transactions between the XRPL EVM Sidechain, the XRP Ledger, and these other networks.

Ripple confirmed that eXRP, a wrapped version of the native XRP token, will function as the native asset and gas token on this sidechain.

"Ripple's focus on the EVM Sidechain and native smart contract capabilities could present a balanced approach to enhancing the XRPL."

Community Excitement and Input

In response, Ripple CTO David Schwartz revealed his excitement about the potential of these new developments. He encouraged the community to explore the possibilities that native and sidechain programmability could bring to the XRP Ledger.

WrathofKahneman (WOK), a notable figure in the XRP community, expressed equal excitement. He pointed out that Ripple's focus on the EVM Sidechain and native innovative contract capabilities could present a balanced approach to enhancing the XRPL.

WOK appreciated Ripple's efforts to involve the community, mainly through the upcoming proposal, which will allow broader input on implementing these features.

He called these advancements potentially epochal for the XRPL, though he acknowledged that many details remain to be discussed.

The community figure raised questions about whether concepts like sharding or subnetting might play a role in this development and whether Ripple can achieve these enhancements without compromising the platform's speed.