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.

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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.

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Sam Daodu

Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing

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