ETH and XRP see renewed interest as Ripple launches EVM side chain

Funding rates picked up for ETH and XRP, signaling renewed interest in the two assets. Trading picked up, while Ripple announced the XRPL EVM side chain is finally live. 

Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) trading showed signs of picking up, based on the latest funding data. The two assets saw funding rates turn sharply positive, signaling interest in shifting to long positions. 

$ETH and $XRP funding rates have turned sharply positive – 0.0083% and 0.0093% respectively – the highest among top L1s.
This signals growing demand for long exposure, even as on-chain activity and sentiment remain mixed. pic.twitter.com/uvALLXDXUs

— glassnode (@glassnode) June 30, 2025

ETH open interest grew gradually to over $14.9B, while XRP open interest stabilized around $1.68B. For both assets, the past day saw a shifting trend toward long positions, showing hopes of a recovery. 

The two assets have been keeping close to their range for the past week. XRP traded at $2.18, with bullish expectations of attempting a hike to $3. ETH traded at $2,458.03, with signs of increasing activity, app fees, and token transfers. 

For now, the growth for both assets remains relatively slow, reflecting a more organic recovery. ETH is stuck in a tight range between $2,400 and $2,500, based on the accumulation of short and long positions. XRP is currently shifting between $2.15 and $2.30, with more cautious buildup of long positions. 

A rise in ETH and XRP is seen as a potential sign for a revival of selected altcoins, despite the ongoing Bitcoin season, based on the top 100 asset performance. In the past month, both ETH and XRP traded sideways, while failing to deliver the expected bigger breakout. 

XRP also attempted a recovery, despite the decision to abandon a cross-appeal for its lawsuit against the US SEC. For now, XRP can continue to trade based on a general agreement that the asset is not a security.

ETH and XRP signal common ecosystem goals

For a few years, Ripple tried to use XRPL to copy Ethereum’s apps, and even had a brief NFT season. However, Ethereum remained the leading hub for app-building and storing value. 

The big problem for XRPL is that it was incompatible with any other ecosystem. For that reason, Ripple built a new EVM-compatible side chain, essentially tapping some of the liquidity available to Ethereum. After months of testing, the EVM-compatible side chain finally went live. The chain will also use one of the most liquid bridges, Wormhole, to move assets to and from Ethereum. The side chain allows Ripple to retain its unique ledger while also offering a more familiar toolset to developers. 

EVM-compatible protocols manage to draw in more significant liquidity, with the potential to bridge stablecoins and tokens. Additionally, EVM-compatible chains can host versions of top Ethereum apps, boosting real on-chain activity. 

Despite the high profile of XRP, the decentralized ledger often carries under 20K active addresses daily. The platform only carries around $58M in total value locked, most of it locked in the native DEX for the protocol. The compatible chains will also allow the creation of multi-chain smart contracts. 

A shift to EVM-compatible apps may boost the share of DeFi on the XRPL network. Developers can now deploy apps similar to those on Ethereum, while also connected via the Axelar bridge to the already existing XRPL network. XRP users can already bridge ETH and USDC through Axelar’s technology. 

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