XRP is once again at the forefront of crypto discussions following a candid update from Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz, who shed light on the inner workings of a new XRP initiative.

Schwartz Explains the Technical Foundation

During a recent engagement with the XRP community, Schwartz offered valuable insights into the structure of the company’s latest project, which is built on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). He emphasized that the processor is a WebAssembly (WASM) runtime rather than a traditional Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This subtle distinction carries significant implications.

The CTO clarified that while many may assume EVM compatibility, the system actually operates using Solidity-based smart contracts compiled into WASM. This allows the underlying technology to execute complex financial agreements efficiently, while not being restricted to Ethereum’s framework alone.

“It’s not truly an EVM,” Schwartz explained. “It’s a WASM processor that supports Solidity by compiling it. You could also write smart contracts in any language that compiles to WASM, including Rust, C++, or others.”

WASM and Smart Contract Flexibility

One significant advantage of this method is greater language flexibility. Developers aren’t tied to Solidity, Ethereum’s programming language. Instead, they can use a broader range of options as long as they can be compiled into WASM.

This design opens the door for a wider development pool and improved security, as developers can choose languages they’re most familiar with. Also, optimized compilers for WASM can potentially lead to faster smart contract execution, making real-world use cases involving payments and agreements more practical on XRPL.

Motivating Innovation Without Fragmentation

Responding to community curiosity, Schwartz also highlighted why the XRPL team avoided creating a full-fledged EVM-compatible chain. According to him, the decision helps avoid unnecessary fragmentation of developer tools and ecosystems. Instead of having separate environments that don’t communicate well, this unified approach ensures smart contract functionality without splitting the community or diluting the existing resources.

Ripple thus aims to evolve XRPL’s capabilities while retaining interoperability and simplicity. By leveraging WASM and enabling Solidity support, the company fosters innovation without diverging from the XRPL’s core architecture.

Community Engagement and Technical Transparency

The XRP community showed strong interest in the update, prompting several technical questions. Schwartz’s willingness to elaborate revealed Ripple’s commitment to transparency and open dialogue. Such direct communication builds trust as the XRP ecosystem continues to grow and adapt to new demands in the blockchain landscape.

Ripple’s Broader Strategic Vision

This technical evolution forms part of Ripple’s broader roadmap to make the XRP Ledger more versatile in handling decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization, and other smart contract-based applications. Enhancements like WASM-based contract execution are seen as critical steps to make the platform more attractive for developers and enterprises alike.

While the implementation is still underway, Schwartz’s insights signal ongoing progress and Ripple’s dedication to scaling blockchain utility.

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Ripple CTO reveals deep technical details about the new XRP Ledger smart contract execution model, changing how developers engage with blockchain finance.