The XRP Ledger just got a passport. XRPL and its EVM Sidechain are now live on Axelar’s interoperability network, letting users move XRP and other supported assets across more than 80 blockchains without juggling multiple bridges.

The integration, announced on July 20, represents the culmination of a partnership that’s been building since at least 2024, when Axelar was first tapped as the bridge provider for the XRPL EVM Sidechain. That sidechain itself only went live on June 30, 2025. So in roughly three weeks, the team moved from “EVM compatibility exists” to “here’s connectivity to basically every major chain.”

How the plumbing works

Axelar operates as a decentralized network that connects disparate blockchains. Its Interchain Token Service handles the actual mechanics of wrapping and unwrapping tokens as they move between chains. You send XRP from the XRP Ledger, and it shows up as a usable asset on Ethereum, Avalanche, Polygon, or whichever of the 80-plus supported chains you’re targeting.

Axelar serves as the exclusive bridge for wrapped XRP moving to and from the XRPL EVM Sidechain.

The cross-chain transfer experience is powered in part by Squid, which provides the user interface layer for moving assets. Squid abstracts away the complexity of selecting routes, estimating fees, and confirming transactions across chains.

The collaboration roster includes Ripple, Peersyst, which developed the XRPL EVM Sidechain, and the Axelar Foundation.

Why EVM compatibility changes the game for XRP

The XRP Ledger has historically been somewhat isolated from the broader DeFi ecosystem. Most DeFi protocols run on EVM-compatible chains. The XRP Ledger doesn’t natively speak that language.

The EVM Sidechain solves this by giving XRPL an Ethereum-compatible environment that runs alongside the main ledger. Ripple CTO David Schwartz has emphasized the importance of EVM compatibility for expanding XRP’s reach into institutional use cases.

Axelar co-founder Georgios Vlachos has pointed to institutional applications as a key driver behind the integration. Ripple has long positioned itself as the crypto company that targets enterprise clients, and connecting XRPL to 80-plus chains through a single verified bridge fits that narrative.

What this means for investors

The most immediate implication is increased utility for XRP. An asset that can seamlessly move across 80-plus chains has more potential use cases than one confined to a single ledger.

Cross-chain bridges have historically been double-edged swords. The Ronin bridge exploit alone cost over $600M. Axelar’s position as the sole bridge for wrapped XRP concentrates risk in a single point of infrastructure.

Investors should monitor adoption metrics in the coming months: how much wrapped XRP flows through Axelar, which destination chains attract the most volume, and whether DeFi protocols begin building XRP-specific products.