Cryptocurrency

Ethereum Needs to Double to Reach $4,946 Again. XRP Needs 2.6x to Hit $3.65. Which All-Time High Gets Broken First?

Ethereum and XRP both sit far below their recent peaks, but their ETF flows, historical recovery speeds, and competing data sources paint very different pictures of which coin has the better shot at breaking records first.

By Sam Daodu
Published October 13, 2026, 3:21pm ET · 3 min read

The Crypto Desk desk. Editor: Sam Daodu.

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Two Ripple (XRP) cryptocurrency coins, one standing upright and the other lying flat with a reflection, are positioned in front of a dark digital screen displaying a financial candlestick chart. The chart features green and red bars, a white line, and other indicators against a grid, representing market movements.
A Ripple coin stands prominently against a backdrop of a digital trading chart, symbolizing the dynamic nature of cryptocurrency markets and price analysis for assets like Hyperliquid and Solana. © PBXStudio / Shutterstock.com

Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) trades at $2,531, about 49% below its all-time high of $4,946 set in August 2025. Meanwhile, XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) stands at $1.36, roughly 63% below its peak of $3.65 recorded on July 17, 2025. Many investors are eager to see whether either cryptocurrency can reclaim its past highs.

CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko Disagree on XRP’s All-Time High

Ripple gold physical coin. XRP coin on black background

ViTaMiH / Shutterstock.com

Determining XRP’s all-time high can be tricky, as it varies depending on the price tracker you consult. CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko use different exchange lists, which can lead to different price histories. CoinMarketCap shows XRP’s peak at $3.84 on January 4, 2018, because it includes older exchanges that were busiest then. According to that measurement, XRP is currently about 65% below its peak.

In contrast, CoinGecko lists XRP’s all-time high at $3.65 in July 2025, while its January 2018 peak was about $3.40 on January 7, 2018. This gives you two different perspectives on whether XRP has ever returned to its 2018 high. According to CoinMarketCap, XRP has not yet recovered its former high. But from CoinGecko’s viewpoint, it has, even if it took nearly seven and a half years.

Ethereum’s ETFs Hold 10 Times More Than XRP’s, but Money Is Leaving

A golden Ethereum coin with its distinct logo and 'ethereum' text is centered, standing upright on a reflective surface. Behind it and to the sides are various stacks of other golden coins, some in focus, some blurred. The background features a dark blue hue with numerous out-of-focus, bright blue circular lights, creating a bokeh effect.

alfernec / Shutterstock.com

While Ethereum needs a smaller price increase to reach its record than XRP, both cryptocurrencies need buyer demand to succeed. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which let investors own a coin through a standard brokerage account, offer insight into that demand.

According to SoSoValue, Ethereum’s ETFs hold $15.86 billion in net assets—about ten times XRP’s $1.55 billion. However, Ethereum has experienced nine consecutive days of outflows, which means more money left those funds than came in. Meanwhile, XRP’s funds have remained relatively stable, reporting zero net flow in four of the last eight sessions.

Additionally, Evernorth, a treasury company holding about 473 million XRP, recently listed on Nasdaq on October 8, suggesting interest in XRP despite its smaller fund base.

Ethereum Recovered Its Last Cycle’s High Faster Than XRP

Crypto Coins XRP Ripple and ETH Ethereum on US Dollar bills

Djjeep_Design / Shutterstock.com

Ethereum and XRP peaked around the same time, with Ethereum hitting its high in August 2025 and XRP in July 2025. However, looking back at previous cycles can provide some insights. Based on CoinMarketCap’s data, Ethereum’s January 2018 high was $1,432 on January 13, 2018, and it surpassed that level in January 2021, roughly three years later. In contrast, XRP has taken around seven and a half years to (or still hasn’t) recover its 2018 high, depending on the data source.

Will XRP or Ethereum Reach a New All-Time High First?

Given the smaller increase needed, the larger fund base, and Ethereum’s historical recovery speed, we believe Ethereum is more likely to reach a new all-time high first. A return to consistent inflows could significantly boost Ethereum’s price, especially considering its fund base is roughly ten times larger than XRP’s.

However, the current situation is fluid. If Ethereum outflows continue and XRP attracts positive inflows, XRP could surpass its lower CoinGecko record—even while it’s still below CoinMarketCap’s $3.84 mark. The forthcoming fund flows will reveal which cryptocurrency has the momentum to break its all-time highs first.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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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.

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