Recent Updates (Late 2025)
rippled 3.0.0 Release: A major server update focusing on internal improvements, bug fixes (escrow, AMM rounding), and protocol extensibility for tokenization and DeFi.
Formal Verification: The first spec for the Payment Engine is published, aiming for banking-grade reliability and moving towards mathematically proving core logic.
Lending Protocol Teased: Developers are building a lending framework with isolated Single Asset Vaults (SAVs) for fixed-term, risk-assessed loans using RLUSD or XRP, positioning XRPL as a credit rail.
UNL Migration: The default Validator List (UNL) moved to a new URL/key pair; operators needed to migrate by Sept 30, 2025, for continuity.
Key Areas in Development
Hooks (Smart Contracts): WebAssembly modules (WASM) are being integrated for custom logic, currently in testing for security.
Tokenization & DeFi: Enhancements like MPT fixes and AMM improvements support expanded DeFi applications.
Ripple USD (RLUSD): Development continues around this stablecoin for utility in payments and lending.
What Developers Need to Do
Upgrade
rippled: All server operators must upgrade to version 3.0.0 for network compatibility.Monitor Blog/X: Follow @RippleXDev and xrpl.org for official announcements and testnet details.
More about it here