Ripple has recommended that the XRP Ledger community withdraw the long-running XChainBridge amendment, known as XLS-38, which was designed to bring native cross-chain bridging capabilities to the network. According to the company, the technology is no longer required for its primary intended use case and has failed to attract sufficient developer demand.
Ripple Cannot Unilaterally Remove the Amendment
Because Ripple controls only a single validator vote on the XRP Ledger, the company cannot remove the feature on its own. The withdrawal must proceed through the network’s standard amendment process, requiring broader validator consensus.
Original Purpose of XLS-38
XLS-38 was created to provide a native bridging framework for the XRP Ledger. The proposal would have allowed assets to move between the XRPL mainnet and connected sidechains with the assistance of “witness servers.” The system was designed to support custom sidechains, including private and permissioned networks as well as experimental chains. It was also originally intended to serve as the bridge connecting the XRP Ledger to the XRPL EVM Sidechain.
Axelar Selected as the Alternative
Ripple has instead selected the Axelar network to power the XRPL EVM Sidechain. Axelar’s network currently operates with more than 75 validators and supports broad interoperability with over 50 blockchain networks.
Ripple initially decided to use Axelar for the XRPL EVM Sidechain in June 2024. At the time, the company stated it would continue leaving XLS-38 available for a community vote. However, Ripple now says there is little evidence that such demand exists.
“The primary use case that motivated XLS-38’s development is fully addressed, and we believe better addressed, by the Axelar integration,” RippleX said.
Code Maintenance Cited as Liability
The company also argued that maintaining the dormant implementation has become a liability. Removing XChainBridge would allow developers to eliminate more than 10,000 lines of code from the codebase.
Decision Remains Reversible
Ripple indicated that its decision could be reversed. Developers who are actively building around XLS-38 have been asked to present compelling use cases that could convince the company to change its position.
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