XRP Ledger Bridge Faces Potential Shutdown

Ripple Recommends Dropping Native Bridge Proposal

Ripple has formally recommended that the XRP Ledger community withdraw the XLS-38 amendment, also known as XChainBridge, along with the related fixXChainRewardRounding amendment. XLS-38 was originally proposed to enable native cross-chain bridges on the XRP Ledger. It defined a protocol using a decentralized network of witness servers to observe and attest to transactions across chains.

The amendment was designed to enable the transfer of value between sidechains through locking and issuing mechanisms, connecting a locking chain and an issuing chain. Its intended use cases included private chains, permissioned networks, and a bridge linking the XRPL EVM Sidechain to mainnet with $XRP as the native gas token.

Ripple concluded that the witness-server model creates security, decentralization, and operational trade-offs that become more significant as the value locked in a bridge increases. With limited developer demand for the feature, the company no longer considers maintaining the codebase worthwhile. Withdrawing the amendment would remove more than 10,000 lines of code from the protocol.

Axelar Steps In as the Preferred Alternative

Ripple says the Axelar integration already addresses the XRPL EVM Sidechain's bridging needs, while limited demand for XLS-38 no longer justifies maintaining its codebase. For users of the XRPL EVM Sidechain, the Axelar bridge remains the connection to and from the XRPL mainnet.

Axelar is a decentralized interoperability network that acts as a universal connector for both EVM and non-EVM chains, including Ethereum, Solana, and the XRP Ledger. Axelar operates a Tendermint-based proof-of-stake blockchain with over 70 validators that verify cross-chain messages using quadratic voting mechanisms. Its General Message Passing protocol allows smart contracts on one blockchain to call functions on another without requiring developers to build custom bridge infrastructure.

The recommendation is not final. Ripple has indicated the decision could still change if developers demonstrate compelling use cases for the native bridging standard. The XRPL community will ultimately decide whether to proceed with the withdrawal.

Sources:
Crypto Times: Ripple Recommends Withdrawing XChainBridge Amendment XLS-38
Ripple Insights: XRPL EVM Sidechain and the Axelar Bridge