XRP Ledger’s Ethereum-compatible sidechain is preparing a new upgrade focused on strengthening security and operational stability.

On July 1 local time, blockchain outlet U.Today reported that blockchain developer Peersyst signalled an XRPL EVM v11 upgrade. Peersyst said it plans to release a testnet proposal as early as this week. Mainnet deployment will follow later.

XRPL EVM is a sidechain that adds Ethereum-compatible smart contract functions to XRP Ledger. Peersyst presented stronger economic security, safer cross-chain connectivity, improved validator management and overall stack hardening as the upgrade’s core elements. Peersyst said on X that XRPL EVM v11 is coming and that it is an upgrade to make the network stronger.

The overhaul places more emphasis on improving the network’s safety and resilience than on expanding new features. Peersyst said many network upgrades focus on introducing new features, but this version focuses on making the network safer and more resilient and making operations easier. As a result, changes will be made across validator management, cross-chain infrastructure and internal security procedures.

A key point for the market is a reshaping of the validator operating structure. XRPL EVM operates under a proof-of-authority model, not open staking, with designated authorities managing changes to the validator set. In v11, the standard path for creating validators will be blocked after launch, preventing anyone outside the designated authority from newly joining the validator set. Existing validators, however, will be able to leave the network on their own rather than waiting for removal by the authority.

Cross-chain connectivity will also be revised. Peersyst said v11 is a security-first release that reduces the attack surface and hardens the validator layer and the IBC layer. Given XRPL EVM’s structure of connecting to multiple chains, the changes are seen as focused on improving stability in external connection segments. Many of the changes, however, will occur in the backend and may not be directly noticeable to developers or general users, it said.

The upgrade also aligns with XRPL EVM’s expansion track. The XRPL EVM sidechain began mainnet operation in June 2025 and has continued improvement work since then. A security review framework is also cited as a feature of this release. XRPL EVM has repeatedly conducted AI-assisted security audits, and Peersyst said v11 is the first release to reflect the benefits of that audit framework from start to finish.

A key point to watch in the schedule is the pace of actual validation and mainnet deployment after the testnet proposal. Because the changes target internal network structure rather than the user interface, stability indicators and shifts in operating methods are expected to be the main benchmarks for evaluation in the near term, the outlet reported.