A separate chain with XRP as gas
4 minDifficulty Checked 2026-11-10- The XRPL EVM is a separate blockchain, not a feature of the XRP Ledger.
- It runs EVM smart contracts and uses XRP as its fee token.
- It has its own validators and consensus, built on the Cosmos SDK.
The XRP Ledger does not run Ethereum-style smart contracts. Its features are built in, one transaction type at a time.
Some developers want those contracts anyway. They know Solidity, the language of Ethereum, and they have tools built for it.
The XRPL EVM sidechain is the answer for them. It is a second blockchain that sits beside the XRP Ledger. Think of two towns joined by one bridge. Each town has its own council and its own rules. The same currency, XRP, is used in both.
On the sidechain:
- Developers deploy Ethereum-style contracts.
- Users pay fees in XRP.
- A separate group of validators confirms the blocks.
What it is not:
- It is not the XRP Ledger. A contract there cannot touch your XRP Ledger account.
- It is not governed by XRP Ledger amendments. Its software is upgraded on its own schedule.
- XRP on the sidechain is not sitting in your XRP Ledger wallet. It crossed a bridge to get there.
The name can mislead. "XRPL EVM" sounds like a part of the XRPL. Ripple's own launch post says it is "technically a separate blockchain."
What it is. The project's docs call it a sovereign Layer-1 blockchain with full EVM compatibility, independent of XRPL consensus. It was developed by Peersyst in partnership with Ripple.
Stack, from the docs:
| Layer | Choice |
|---|---|
| Framework | Cosmos SDK |
| Consensus | CometBFT, under a Proof-of-Authority model |
| Execution | Cosmos EVM, targeting the Prague EVM version |
| Fee token | XRP, bridged from the XRP Ledger and minted on the sidechain |
The docs describe the validators as a restricted set of authorized entities. They name Ripple, Peersyst and early partners as current operators. The chain tolerates up to one third of validators acting maliciously. Blocks are final in about 5 seconds.
Compare that with the XRP Ledger, where each server chooses a list of validators it trusts. See Consensus, validators and the UNL.
Dates. The network docs list the Mainnet genesis block on 2025-04-25. Ripple announced Mainnet as live on 2025-06-30.
Networks.
| Mainnet | Testnet | |
|---|---|---|
| Chain ID | 1440000 | 1449000 |
| Cosmos chain ID | xrplevm_1440000-1 | xrplevm_1449000-1 |
| RPC | https://rpc.xrplevm.org/ | https://rpc.testnet.xrplevm.org/ |
| Explorer | https://explorer.xrplevm.org | https://explorer.testnet.xrplevm.org |
| Currency symbol | XRP | XRP |
How xrpl.org defines a sidechain. An independent ledger with its own consensus algorithm, transaction types, rules and nodes. Sidechains use their own validators and need a separate UNL. Nodes on the mainchain and the sidechain have no knowledge of each other.
So nothing the sidechain does is validated by XRP Ledger servers, and no XRP Ledger amendment vote covers it.
Related: Moving XRP across, Hooks and Xahau.
- What is the XRPL EVM Sidechain?Read 2026-11-10
- XRPL EVMRead 2026-11-10
- XRPL SidechainsRead 2026-11-10
- XRPL EVM Sidechain Mainnet is LiveRead 2026-11-10
- NetworksRead 2026-11-10
