Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana Are All Down in 2026. Which Has Held Up Best?
All four major cryptocurrencies are bleeding in 2026, but the coin that looks strongest on paper may actually be in the worst shape of the group depending on how you measure the damage.
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The four biggest names in cryptocurrency—Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana—are all experiencing declines. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has fallen the least, down 5.3% from its end-of-2025 close of around $82,965. On the other hand, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has fallen the most, plummeting 23.9% to $1.39. Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) fall somewhere in between.
However, this ranking holds up only when you consider prices from January 1, 2026. If we measure from each coin’s all-time high, the order shifts significantly, raising questions about which measure is more trustworthy for holders and what the differences reveal.
Bitcoin Has Fallen the Least of the Four in 2026
The table below outlines the closing prices of each coin on December 31, 2025, compared to their current prices in 2026:
| Coin | Close (December 31, 2025) | Current Price | 2026 Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | $87,498 | $82,965 | Down 5.3% |
| Solana | $124 | $109 | Down 11.7% |
| Ethereum | $2,967 | $2,501 | Down 15.7% |
| XRP | $1.84 | $1.39 | Down 23.9% |
From this perspective, Bitcoin appears to be the most stable option, while XRP seems to lag. Solana’s performance isn’t too shabby, especially in a year when all coins are declining.
That said, year-to-date price comparisons rely on a single closing price in December 2025. This date carries no special significance for these coins and overlooks their performance before the new year. Still, it is a common reference point for crypto funds, exchanges, and headlines, giving investors a shared benchmark, even if it doesn’t capture the full picture of how much damage a coin has sustained.
Measured From Their All-Time Highs, Solana Falls to Last
An all-time high represents the highest price a coin has ever reached. From that perspective, the rankings shift dramatically: Bitcoin is down 34.2%, Ethereum 49.5%, XRP 61.8%, and Solana 62.7%.
In this case, Solana, which seemed to perform relatively well in 2026, ranks lowest in terms of how far it has fallen from its record high. Ethereum moves up from third to second, XRP rises from last to third, and Bitcoin remains at the top on both lists.
This shift happens because the calendar counts only losses incurred after January 1, 2026. Solana had already seen significant declines before the end of 2025, so it started 2026 from a much lower base. Consequently, its year-to-date performance may look better than it is because it started the year from a much lower base.
How Far Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana Must Climb to Reclaim Their Highs
For investors deciding their next steps, understanding how far each coin has fallen from its all-time high is crucial. This perspective determines the size of potential recoveries. A coin’s loss is measured from its highest previous price, while any recovery is gauged against its current lower price. Thus, the same dollar drop requires a more considerable percentage gain to return to the prior peak.
The gain needed to recover grows faster than the drop itself the further a coin has fallen. To reclaim its $126,080 record, Bitcoin needs about a 52% increase. Ethereum must rise about 98%, XRP needs about a 162% gain to return to its $3.65 peak, and Solana needs about a 168% jump.
Which Ranking Should Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana Holders Use?
Overall, measuring the drop from all-time highs offers more valuable insights for holders because it highlights how much each coin must climb back. While the 2026 scoreboard still matters—largely because it’s widely discussed in investment circles—it’s less informative for understanding long-term recovery potential.
At the top, both metrics agree: Bitcoin ranks first in both assessments. Below Bitcoin, the year-to-date figures reveal more about the timing of each coin’s decline than its extent. For Solana holders, the climb back up, despite a seemingly appealing 2026, still requires a 168% increase to reach past highs. Ultimately, the order from all-time highs will change only when one coin can recover faster than the one ranked above it. Therefore, as long as Solana stays further below its record than XRP’s 61.8% drop, its position may remain precarious despite its recent performance.
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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
