Ripple just plugged the XRP Ledger into the broader crypto ecosystem. The company's XRPL and its EVM Sidechain went live on Axelar's interoperability network, letting users move XRP and other assets across more than 80 blockchains without juggling separate bridges.

The partnership traces back to 2024, when Axelar was first picked as the bridge provider for the XRPL EVM Sidechain. That sidechain itself launched on June 30, 2025. Three weeks later, the team shipped full connectivity to basically every major chain. Axelar now serves as the exclusive bridge for wrapped XRP moving between the XRPL EVM Sidechain and the rest of the ecosystem.

How the plumbing actually works

Axelar operates as a decentralized network connecting disparate blockchains. When you send XRP from the XRP Ledger, Axelar's Interchain Token Service handles the wrapping and unwrapping mechanics. It shows up as a usable asset on Ethereum, Avalanche, Polygon, or any of the 80-plus supported chains. Squid, a separate layer, provides the user interface for moving assets and abstracts away route selection, fee estimation, and transaction confirmation across chains.

The collaboration includes Ripple, Peersyst (which built the EVM Sidechain), and the Axelar Foundation.

Why this matters for XRP's institutional play

The XRP Ledger has historically sat isolated from mainstream DeFi. Most protocols run on EVM-compatible chains, a language XRPL didn't speak natively. The EVM Sidechain fixes that by giving XRPL an Ethereum-compatible environment running alongside the main ledger. Ripple CTO David Schwartz has emphasized EVM compatibility as essential for expanding XRP into institutional use cases. Axelar co-founder Georgios Vlachos pointed to enterprise applications as a key driver. Ripple has long positioned itself as the crypto company targeting enterprise clients, and connecting XRPL to 80-plus chains significantly expands that reach.

XRP traded flat on the news, holding near $2.40.

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