XRP Ledger Adopts Smart Contracts After Initial Resistance

The XRP Ledger is moving toward a new era of programmability. For years, the network resisted adding smart contracts, which caused a group of developers to split off and create a separate chain called Xahau in 2023. Now, the main ledger is catching up by shipping its own native smart contract layer.

The technical specifications for this update appear to draw heavily from the work already done by the Xahau team. By integrating these features directly into the core network, the XRP Ledger hopes to compete with other smart contract chains that have dominated decentralized finance for years.

This shift is a significant turn for the project. While it acknowledges the demand for advanced features, it also raises questions about how the community will balance the new functionality with the original goals of the ledger. Investors are now waiting to see if these tools will finally bring significant developer activity back to the main chain.

Moving forward, the focus will be on the rollout timeline and how quickly developers start building applications on the updated protocol. The market will be watching to see if this move effectively bridges the gap between the main ledger and its previous fork.