Blockchain-based payment network Ripple is testing an option to allow the deployment of smart contracts for Ethereum on its XRP Ledger. On its developer platform, Ripple announced that the first stage of the EVM sidechain for XRPL is currently live. Now, developers can carry out tests before launching final results on the mainnet.
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As part of the phase, Ripple also introduced a bridge between an EVM-compatible chain and the XRP Ledger Devnet. EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) is the environment through which developers create applications on the blockchain.
Developers now can bring Solidity-based smart contracts to the XRPL. The process will include two more steps, and throughout all three phases, the XRPL Mainnet will support Ethereum smart contracts and apps like MetaMask, Remiz, and Truffle.
The project's next phase will launch in early 2023 to expand participation and test scalability within a controlled environment. According to the plan, the third stage will present a permissionless EVM sidechain and bridge available on the XRPL main network.