Could XRP Be the Next Bitcoin?

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has already beaten Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) return over the past ten years, so some investors wonder if XRP could become the next Bitcoin. However, Bitcoin’s market value is about 22 times XRP’s, and the two coins serve different purposes.

XRP trades at $1.02, down 25.3% in the last 30 days and 72% below its all-time high. It also trades below its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages, which are its average closing prices over those periods.

After a 57.3% drop over the past year, the idea of XRP as “the next Bitcoin” can seem far off. So what would it take for XRP to become the next Bitcoin?

XRP Is Much Smaller Than Bitcoin but Has Beaten Its Returns Before

“The next Bitcoin” can mean matching Bitcoin’s size or matching its returns, and XRP gets a different answer on each.

On size, XRP’s market value is about $64.6 billion, sixth among cryptocurrencies, while Bitcoin’s is about $1.43 trillion. Even a return to XRP’s $3.65 peak from July 2025, about 258% above the current price, could take more money than the first time, because more XRP is in circulation now.

On returns, XRP has beaten Bitcoin before, gaining about 12,868% over ten years to Bitcoin’s 10,347%. More recently, the numbers flipped. Over the past five years, XRP is down 12% while Bitcoin is up 14.2%, and over the last year, XRP fell 57.3% while Bitcoin is up 29.8%. XRP tends to fall harder when Bitcoin sells off, as we covered in “Why XRP Drops Every Time Bitcoin Drops.”

Bitcoin Has 21 Million Coins While XRP Has 100 Billion

Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million coins, which would be worth about $1.5 trillion at the current price. New Bitcoin comes only from mining, where computers compete to add transactions to the blockchain and earn new coins as a reward. No company controls Bitcoin.

XRP, by contrast, has a maximum supply of 100 billion coins, worth about $102 billion at the current price. All of them were created at launch, and Ripple, the payments company tied to XRP, still holds a large share. Much of that share is locked in escrow and released every month, so more XRP enters circulation over time. That means Bitcoin buyers have no company selling into the market, while XRP buyers do.

The two coins also do different jobs. Most people see Bitcoin as a store of value, a kind of digital gold, while XRP is built to move money quickly between banks and payment companies as a bridge currency. Our look at what XRP could be worth if it replaced the global payment system shows how much that use would need to grow.

XRP’s Growth Has to Come From ETFs, Payments and Ledger Upgrades

Spot XRP ETFs, funds that hold XRP and trade like stocks, had taken in $1.79 billion in total net inflows by November 11, 2026, according to SoSoValue, and held about $1.19 billion in net assets. However, investors have started pulling money out, with outflows of $10.4 million on November 9 and $7.6 million on November 10.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, by comparison, hold about $93.7 billion in net assets, roughly 79 times more than the XRP funds. Even after a $299.9 million outflow on November 11, the Bitcoin funds have taken in about $55.1 billion in total.

On the payments side, DriveWealth’s CEO said in a November 12 interview with Thinking Crypto that the firm plans to use Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, a token pegged to the U.S. dollar, along with the XRP Ledger for settlements. XRP benefits only indirectly, because each transaction on the ledger uses a small XRP fee.

The XRP Ledger’s roadmap also adds programmability, which would let it run apps and smart contracts. Planned upgrades such as smart escrows and an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain aim to attract developers, but that kind of growth usually takes time to show up in the price.

Frequently Asked Questions About XRP and Bitcoin

Can XRP Hit $10?

It’s possible, but XRP would need to rise about 880% and pass its $3.65 all-time high. That would likely take steady ETF demand and ongoing growth in payments. We compared that target with Bitcoin at $1 million, which is more likely.

Can XRP Reach $100?

At $100, XRP’s roughly 63 billion coins in circulation would be worth about $6.3 trillion, more than four times Bitcoin’s current market value. We’ve worked through the $100 math in more detail.

How High Can XRP Realistically Go?

In a strong rally, a return to $2.39, its price on November 12, 2025, looks within reach. That’s about 134% above the current price, and the $3.65 all-time high would be the top of the range. Either level would likely need ETF flows to turn positive first.

So, Could XRP Become the Next Bitcoin?

In terms of size, XRP’s chances of matching Bitcoin this decade look slim. However, XRP could still post strong returns from its current low price. First, it needs to win back its 200-day average near $1.26, 23.5% above the current price, and its 50-day average near $1.34, 31.4% above. Our comparison of $1,000 in Bitcoin or XRP by 2030 tests the longer-term numbers.

ETF flows are the clearest signal. If total XRP ETF inflows climb back past $1.81 billion, buyers are returning. If outflows continue and XRP falls below its $0.99 low from August 16, just 2.9% below the current price, it could drop further. So XRP could beat Bitcoin’s returns again in a strong rally, but it’s unlikely to become the next Bitcoin in size.

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