币界网报道：The XRP Ledger has launched its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain on mainnet, enabling developers to build Ethereum-compatible applications within its ecosystem. Developed by Ripple, Peersyst, and Axelar, the sidechain combines XRP Ledger's low-cost transactions with Ethereum's smart contract functionality. Ripple CTO David Schwartz stated it extends ecosystem capabilities without compromising XRPL's reliability. Peersyst CEO Ferran Prat called it "a new era for XRP," enhancing interoperability and programmability. The sidechain uses Axelar as its exclusive bridge for asset transfers, with wrapped XRP as the native gas token. DeFi projects like Band Protocol and Grove have already joined, with Wormhole integration planned.