XRPL in 2025: Smart‑contracts, tokenization and bridges advanced — 2026 needs UX, liquidity and funding
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) closed 2025 with tangible progress in smart contracts, interoperability and tokenization, but stakeholders say 2026 must fix user friction, DEX liquidity and funding for consumer apps. Key developments in 2025: smart contracts reached an alpha testnet developers can deploy to; Wormhole and Axelar bridges went live, enabling bridged yield-bearing assets; tokenization expanded with RLUSD and new stablecoins and tokenized funds; wallets and app UX improved though no single flagship app emerged. Shortcomings highlighted for 2026 include the need for batch transactions and sponsored fees/reserves to reduce onboarding friction, more quality real‑world assets (RWAs) such as yield‑bearing stablecoins and tokenized stocks/commodities, stronger DEX/AMM liquidity, and a serious grant/incentive program (XRPL Foundation involvement) to fund scalable consumer apps. Community voices quoted include Vet (XRPL dUNL validator) praising shipped features and Panos Mekras (Anodos Finance CEO) calling for infrastructure and incentives. At press time XRP traded near $1.86. Primary keywords: XRPL, XRP Ledger, smart contracts, tokenization, interoperability, DEX liquidity. Secondary/semantic keywords: batch transactions, sponsored fees, RWAs, bridges, Wormhole, Axelar, RLUSD, developer tools. Traders should note that infrastructure upgrades and improved liquidity are prerequisites for larger DeFi activity and token distribution; funding and UX changes could materially affect on‑chain volume and price action in 2026.
Neutral
The report highlights meaningful technical and ecosystem progress (smart‑contract alpha, bridges, tokenization) which is constructive for XRPL’s long‑term fundamentals, but it also stresses unresolved, material constraints — user friction, weak DEX liquidity and lack of funding for consumer apps. Those positives support a constructive medium‑term outlook, but the missing pieces are critical to convert developer activity into sustained on‑chain volume and new user inflows. Historically, similar infrastructure wins (mainnet contract launches, bridge integrations) produce initial bullish sentiment and episodic rallies, but sustained price appreciation requires liquidity on DEXs and consumer‑facing products — otherwise activity and prices can stagnate. Short term: neutral to mildly positive—news may boost trader interest and speculative flows but is unlikely to trigger a strong breakout without immediate liquidity or flagship app announcements. Medium/long term: cautiously bullish if XRPL implements batch transactions/sponsored fees and a funded grant program that improves onboarding and brings RWAs and yield products; failure to do so would keep the market impact muted. Traders should watch on‑chain DEX volumes, large token issuances (RLUSD, RWAs), wallet growth metrics and any XRPLF grant announcements as triggers for market moves.