Cryptocurrency

Cardano Is 92% Below Its High, and XRP Is 62% Below. Which Has the Easier Path Back?

Two battered cryptocurrencies face wildly different mountains to climb back to their record highs, and the gap between their recoveries comes down to more than just price. The real question is whether the one with the shorter climb actually has…

By Sam Daodu
Published October 9, 2026, 7:47pm ET · 3 min read

The Crypto Desk desk. Editor: Sam Daodu.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Stock market graph trading analysis investment financial, stock exchange financial or forex graph stock market graph chart business crisis crash loss and grow up gain and profits win up trend
© Bigc Studio / Shutterstock.com

Cardano (CRYPTO:ADA) has fallen nearly 92% from its all-time high of $3.09, requiring a staggering 13-fold increase to return to that record. In comparison, XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) is currently around $1.40, 62% below its peak of $3.65, meaning it needs less than 3x to reach that level. This illustrates the stark difference between the two: while Cardano has a long road ahead, XRP may have a more achievable climb.

Cardano Needs a 13x Climb While XRP Needs Less Than 3x

Close-up of numerous gold-colored cryptocurrency coins, including one prominent Cardano (ADA) coin, stacked on a white surface. In the blurred background, a digital financial chart displays upward-trending lines against a dark blue and purple backdrop, suggesting market activity.

Chinnapong / Shutterstock.com

The mathematics behind recovering from losses shows just how significant the difference is. For instance, a coin that loses 50% must double to recover, while a coin that drops 90% must grow tenfold to return to its original price. In this context, XRP must rise about 161%, or roughly 2.6 times its current value, to hit $3.65 again. On the other hand, Cardano faces a daunting challenge, needing a remarkable 1,190% gain, or 12.9 times its current price, to reach its previous high.

XRP and Cardano Would Need Record Valuations to Reclaim Their Highs

Ripple gold physical coin. XRP coin on black background

ViTaMiH / Shutterstock.com

Market capitalization, calculated as the coin’s price multiplied by the circulating supply, plays a crucial role in understanding these highs. Currently, Cardano’s market cap stands at about $9 billion. At its all-time high of $3.09, its current supply would balloon the market cap to about $116 billion. In comparison, XRP is valued around $89 billion, but if it were to reach its previous high of $3.65, it would skyrocket to around $231 billion.

Both cryptocurrencies also have more coins in circulation now than at their peak prices. Cardano’s circulating supply has grown from about 32 billion ADA in 2021 to around 38 billion now, while XRP’s supply has increased from about 59 billion to approximately 63 billion since July 2025. This means returning to its old highs would require even more capital investment because of the inflated market values.

XRP Has U.S. Spot Funds While Cardano Is Still Waiting

A close-up shot shows a hand's thumb and index finger holding a shiny gold cryptocurrency coin. The coin features the stylized Ripple (XRP) logo, a globe-like grid pattern, and the letters 'XRP' at the bottom. Behind the hand and coin, an out-of-focus American flag is visible, with its red and white stripes and blue field with white stars.

VGV MEDIA / Shutterstock.com

XRP appears to have a notable advantage with U.S.-based spot funds since November 2025, allowing investors to buy XRP through regular brokerage accounts. After the SEC’s case against Ripple concluded in August 2025, Ripple has secured partnerships with banks and even obtained a national trust bank charter.

On the flip side, Cardano offers a staking yield of about 3% for investors, rewarding them for locking up coins to help secure the network, along with a new lending initiative called RealFi. However, Cardano is still waiting for a U.S. spot fund, as Grayscale’s application remains pending.

Despite these advantages, both cryptocurrencies have declined over the past week, showing that even established funds, bank partnerships, and staking mechanisms haven’t been enough to stave off a broader market sell-off.

Which Has the Easier Road Back, XRP or Cardano?

In summary, XRP seems to have the easier path to recovery. A 2.6x increase is far less daunting than Cardano’s required 12.9x increase. XRP also has access to U.S. investment avenues, while Cardano is still working on that front. However, the challenge lies in valuation; to reach its previous high, XRP would need to surpass a $231 billion market cap, nearly double the $116 billion Cardano would need.

Two key indicators could signal a shift in this dynamic. For XRP, a week of price growth amid a broader market decline could suggest its funds and banking partnerships are driving demand. For Cardano, the arrival of a U.S. spot fund could offer it the competitive edge it lacks right now and make that 12.9-times climb more attainable.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

1INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).2The probability of a member receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Members must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. The probability percentage is subject to decrease. Members are only eligible for the Stock Award promotion upon opening their first brokerage account; subsequent cash brokerage accounts are ineligible for the promo, including for members with multiple accounts.

3Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.

4There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.
Sam Daodu

Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst and the editor of 24/7 Wall St.'s Crypto Desk, where he covers Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum, Solana and the altcoins investors search for most. His work focuses on price levels, spot ETF flows, on-chain data and the regulatory decisions that move crypto markets, written so a first-time buyer and a seasoned trader can both use it.
Sam has written about crypto professionally since 2019 and has published more than 2,000 articles. Before joining 24/7 Wall St., he wrote for crypto media outlets and Web3 companies and ghostwrote for crypto founders and token launches. His analysis is syndicated on Yahoo Finance, MSN and AOL and has been cited by other crypto news sites. He also founded MacLabs Marketing, a content and personal branding agency for crypto founders and executives.
When he isn't reading charts, Sam is usually at the gym or watching One Piece, a series he maintains has better tokenomics than most altcoins.

All articles →