XRP Ledger Expands Its Impact: Enhanced Cross-Chain Connectivity with Wormhole to Power Institutional Finance
Ripple, the company behind the XRP Ledger, is taking another major step in transforming its blockchain network into a hub for institutional finance and cross-chain applications. On June 26, Ripple announced the official integration of the Wormhole cross-chain connectivity protocol into the XRP Ledger (XRPL) mainnet and the XRPL Sidechain integrating the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This is a strategic step in expanding interoperability and access to the global Web3 ecosystem.
XRP Can Now Move Across 35+ Blockchains
The integration with Wormhole, one of the most powerful cross-chain interoperability protocols on the market, allows XRP, IOU tokens, and tokens issued on the XRPL to move easily across 35+ different blockchain networks. This opens up new possibilities for:
Connecting XRP to leading DeFi ecosystems
Expanding the use of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization
Enhancing liquidity and cross-chain asset issuance capabilities
Communicating and transmitting data directly between smart contracts on different networks
Notably, Wormhole has long been known as a reputable cross-chain bridge, having processed over $60 billion in cross-chain transaction volume and over a billion messages across over 200 Web3 applications since 2020. Wormhole’s user base includes leading financial institutions such as BlackRock, Apollo, and Securitize, adding credibility to this collaboration.
Enhancing cross-chain functionality for XRP Ledger
A highlight of this integration is XRPL’s ability to issue native tokens that can “travel” across other networks while retaining original control and issuance rights. This helps ensure compliance, transparency, and risk management principles are essential elements in the institutional finance landscape.
With the ability to support smart contracts via the XRPL EVM sidechain, developers can now easily build cross-chain financial applications, integrate XRP payments, design derivatives, or issue digital assets that can move across chains without losing data integrity or control.
Strategic Vision: A Step Towards Global Finance
David Schwartz, CTO of Ripple, emphasized that interoperability is a prerequisite for the mass adoption of blockchain in real-world finance. According to him, for the Web3 ecosystem to become part of the global financial infrastructure, blockchains cannot operate as separate islands, but must be tightly linked through trusted intermediary protocols.
The Wormhole integration reinforces that vision by:
Connecting XRPL to EVM ecosystems like Ethereum, Avalanche, BNB Chain, and more.
Unifying cross-chain liquidity and improving end-user experience
Supporting tokenization of real assets like stocks, real estate, and commodities
Enabling digital asset issuers to comply with regulatory and security standards
This is not XRPL’s first investment in interoperability. It previously partnered with Axelar, another prominent chain-to-chain protocol, to test cross-chain integration. The addition of Wormhole is seen as one of the efforts to complete the modular infrastructure, aiming to build the “internet of blockchains”.
Conclusion
The Wormhole integration is more than just a technical upgrade; it is a strategic statement about XRP Ledger’s position in the Web3 era. As traditional financial institutions increasingly look to blockchain technology to increase efficiency and asset transparency, XRPL’s role as a highly trusted, multi-chain interconnection infrastructure will be key to Ripple’s expansion into the global financial sector.
With rapid integration, strict regulatory compliance, and a commitment to interoperability, XRP Ledger is cementing its role as one of the leading blockchain networks supporting institutional finance, next-generation DeFi, and real-world asset tokenization. This is an important step in Ripple’s long journey to make XRP a global liquidity bridge for the blockchain ecosystem.