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, Jaazi Cooper, director of product management at Ripple, and David Schwartz, Ripple's chief technology officer said at the ongoing APEX 2025 conference in Singapore.
EVM compatibility refers to the ability of the blockchain to run Ethereum-based decentralized applications and smart contracts seamlessly.
The XRPL EVM sidechain testnet went live early this year and is experiencing rapid growth, according to Peersyst Technologies.
"87 new entities – with no prior XRP involvement – are now contributing to the ecosystem: infrastructure, apps, and demand generation," Peersyst said on X. "When mainnet goes live, all of it becomes part of the XRP ecosystem – possibly the biggest onboarding in XRP history."
The EVM sidechain will allow users to potentially generate yield through DeFi applications, such as liquidity pools, and smart contract interactions.
