The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has officially activated a major technical upgrade known as the Permissioned DEX, formally tagged as amendment XLS-81. This feature creates gated, on-chain trading venues where only approved, KYC/AML-compliant participants—such as banks, brokers, and other regulated financial institutions—can place and accept offers. The upgrade is designed to provide a "compliance-first DeFi" environment for traditional finance entities that require controlled trading spaces while leveraging blockchain settlement.
The activation of the Permissioned DEX does not replace or alter the existing open, decentralized exchange (DEX) on the XRPL. Instead, the two systems will operate side-by-side on the same network. As noted by RippleXDev, the open DEX remains fully accessible, with the Permissioned DEX serving as an optional layer for specific institutional use cases that demand regulatory compliance.
This development is part of a broader infrastructure push by XRPL. It follows closely on the heels of the activation of amendment XLS-85, an escrow upgrade that supports trustline tokens and multi-purpose tokens, including stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Together, these upgrades enable a full suite of services for institutions: issuing compliant tokenized assets, holding them in escrow, and trading them within a gated venue—all on the same ledger.
The news coincides with XRP's price consolidating around $1.4236, showing a modest 0.18% increase over 24 hours after recovering from a February low near $1.15. Market data indicates a 4.21% drop in open interest to $2.37 billion and a 7.34% decline in trading volume to $3.73 billion. Technically, XRP is trading below all major Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) and the Bull Market Support Band at $2.1067, with its first significant resistance zone identified at $1.5116.
The strategic direction for XRPL appears focused on serving traditional finance rather than competing directly with open DeFi protocols. This is further evidenced by Ripple's partnership with Aviva Investors to tokenize funds directly on the ledger. While retail traders may not feel an immediate direct impact, the activation is seen as a significant catalyst aimed at increasing institutional adoption and utility of the XRP Ledger.
