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- Ripple’s new developments aim to expand the XRP ledger’s capabilities, enabling new features such as NFTs, DEXs, and AMMs.
- Ripple is broadening its reach by partnering with AI and metaverse firm Futureverse to integrate Ripple Custody for secure DeFi access via the Ottó blockchain.
Blockchain startup Ripple has made some major announcements at the Korea Blockchain Week 2024 with the goal of boosting the foundations of crypto infrastructure thereby driving more institutional adoption of blockchain.
Ripple is now working to advance the XRP Ledger’s programmability by introducing smart contracts to the mainnet and within the ecosystem. This will also help developers leverage the XRP Ledger’s expanded capabilities, thereby accelerating innovation on the platform, per the CNF report.
As a result, Ripple is undertaking a two-pronged approach to boost programmability. First, smart contracts will be introduced to the XRP Ledger mainnet, along with the XRPL EVM Sidechain, in the coming months. These two developments will complement each other in building a robust and versatile ecosystem that will cater to a wide range of applications.
Furthermore, the introduction of the smart contracts will also enable new layer-1 features such as NFTs, Escrow, payment channels, authorized trustlines, as well as DEXs and AMMs. The introduction of these new features, along with the high speed and low cost of XRP Ledger, makes it well-suited to drive everything from traditional finance to innovative new applications. However, the Ripple community is also demanding moving away from centralized control of XRP Ledger and taking the path of decentralization, reported Crypto News Flash.
The XRPL Labs’ Hooks, which define the current smart contract standards provide a crucial foundation that can be built upon to improve Mainnet features. This framework will further allow developers to harness Ledger’s core strengths while tailoring smart contracts to address specific requirements.
Ripple Partners With AI and Metaverse Tech Firms
Apart from the financial markets, Ripple is also expanding its wings into other emerging industries, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse. As a result, it has partnered with Futureverse, an AI and metaverse technology firm, to integrate Ripple Custody and thus secure its digital assets.
Futureverse will facilitate secure, KYC-verified access to DeFi through its proprietary Ottó blockchain. To ensure safe receipt and storage of cryptocurrencies before minting on Ottó, Futureverse will utilize Ripple Custody.
It is clear that Ripple seeks to grab a piece of the crypto custody market, which is expected to grow to $10 trillion by 2030. The blockchain startup will do this by providing a state-of-the-art governance framework while safeguarding a large number of digital assets, including stablecoins and tokenized assets such as bonds, stocks, commodities, and real estate. Interestingly, Ripple has also been working on a multi-purpose token for XRPL, per the CNF report.
In another announcement, Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) welcomed Korea’s Yonsei University as its 58th global partner. With over $60 million committed to the UBRI program, Ripple continues to advance academic excellence and cutting-edge research through strategic support, technical resources, and grants.
