Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has positioned the XRP Ledger’s newly launched Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain as a catalyst for accelerating experimentation and innovation within the ecosystem. The integration enables developers familiar with Ethereum’s programming environment to build on the XRP Ledger, significantly expanding its programmability.
Currently, decentralized finance applications on the XRPL EVM sidechain hold $94,000 in assets, with Moai Finance emerging as the most actively utilized platform. Schwartz publicly encouraged Solidity and EVM-savvy developers to leverage the sidechain’s capabilities to expand the XRP Ledger’s utility.
This developer outreach initiative aims to address a notable ecosystem gap. With just 168 developers actively working on XRPL, the platform trails significantly behind Ethereum’s 8,500 developers and Solana’s 4,000 developer community. The sidechain strategy specifically targets attracting broader blockchain talent to enhance XRPL’s competitive positioning.