Cardano vs XRP

General

Description

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)

Cardano, similar to Ethereum, is a blockchain platform designed for running smart contracts. It operates on a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, making it particularly energy-efficient. The technology is developed and rigorously reviewed by a network of academics and researchers, following a peer-review process.

Cardano overview
XRP Logo
XRP
 (XRP)

XRP is the cryptocurrency of the RippleNet payment network, developed by the company Ripple. Ripple focuses primarily on financial institutions such as banks and payment service providers. Its goal is to make cross-border payments across different currency zones more cost-effective and efficient.

XRP overview

Purpose and goals

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)
  • Smart contract platform
  • Decentralized finance (DeFi)
  • Decentralized applications
XRP Logo
XRP
 (XRP)
  • Payment network for financial institutions
  • Efficient cross-border payments
  • Liquidity for network participants

Price and market data

Price chart

Cardano
 (ADA)

$0.950

+19.22%
XRP
 (XRP)

$3.10

-5.78%
Market data
CardanoXRP
Market cap
$34.64B
$184.32B
Market share
0.85%
4.54%
Current price

$0.95

+$0.028+2.91%

$3.10

-$0.012-0.39%
ADA converterXRP converter
All-time high
$3.09
Sep 02, 2021-68.99%
$3.65
Jul 18, 2025-14.86%
Crypto all-time highs
Cycle low
$0.23
+305.46%Jun 10, 2023
$0.11
+2,636.80%Mar 13, 2020
Prediction for 2025
Powered by AI
$1.83
+91.63%
$6.65
+114.49%
ADA predictionXRP prediction
Relative Strength Index
Sell
BuySell
Sell (70.45)
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (50.78)
Price trend
Positive
(18/30 days)
Negative
(17/30 days)
Price performance
+194.27%
+449.32%
Price performance
-0.18%
+0.61%
Price performance
+27.56%
+2.54%
Price performance
+19.22%
-5.78%
Price performance
+2.91%
-0.39%
Price performance
-0.70%
-0.42%
Annual return
+9.53%
+49.64%
Annual return
+42.81%
+231.10%
Annual return
+145.00%
+79.90%
ADA returnsXRP returns
Total return
+3,408.24%
2017 – 2025
+52,291.16%
2013 – 2025
Average annual return
+390.50%
+2,632.17%
Transaction volume
$3.3B
24h
$6.65B
24h
Max supply
45B
100B
Circulating supply
36.45B
59.42B
Inflation
-0.23%
Year
7.19%
Year
Crypto inflation

On-chain data

Market data
CardanoXRP
Total Value Locked (TVL)
$437.92M
What is Total Value Locked?
Market cap/TVL (ratio)
79.1
Transactions (avg./day)
888,513
Active addresses (24h)
34,005
43,269

Our rating

Our rating
CardanoXRP
Our overall rating
Cardano
XRP
How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

Our individual ratings

Risk
Cardano: 5 of 10
Risk (Cardano)
XRP: 1 of 10
Risk (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
riskyless risky
Community
Cardano: 8 of 10
Community (Cardano)
XRP: 6 of 10
Community (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
smalllarge
Hype & momentum
Cardano: 7 of 10
Hype & momentum (Cardano)
XRP: 2 of 10
Hype & momentum (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
weakstrong
Active usage
Cardano: 3 of 10
Active usage (Cardano)
XRP: 3 of 10
Active usage (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
lowhigh
Network effect
Cardano: 2 of 10
Network effect (Cardano)
XRP: 1 of 10
Network effect (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
weakstrong
Decentralization
Cardano: 5 of 10
Decentralization (Cardano)
XRP: 1 of 10
Decentralization (XRP)
Cardano Logo
XRP Logo
centralizeddecentralized

Our opinion

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)
Cardano has solid technical foundations and an intriguing scientific approach. The problem: development is often too slow for the fast-moving crypto space, and this shows in its lack of real adoption. While competitors like Solana or Avalanche rapidly ship features and attract developers, Cardano has relatively little Total Value Locked (TVL) and few active projects despite having smart contracts since 2021. The DeFi ecosystem exists on paper, but most developers are still building elsewhere. The scientific approach may be theoretically superior — but without genuine adoption, it remains an academic exercise.
Cardano overview
XRP Logo
XRP
 (XRP)
Ripple is a solid company with a clear vision for cross-border payments and has already secured numerous financial partners. Following the largely favorable SEC ruling in 2023, regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. has largely been resolved, and XRP is now actively used in ODL flows, giving it a proven real-world use case. However, several structural issues remain: Ripple's massive token holdings create ongoing selling pressure and raise concerns about centralization, while many RippleNet partners use the technology without XRP, which calls into question whether the token is truly essential in the long run. Additionally, the rise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could eventually make XRP's role as a bridge asset obsolete. While the technology works and has carved out its niche, XRP's price performance appears to be driven more by speculation than by underlying demand.
XRP overview

Details

Info
CardanoXRP
Founder
Charles Hoskinson
Ryan Fugger, Chris Larsen, Jed McCaleb
Developer
Cardano Foundation, IOHK, Emurgo
Ripple Labs
Published
2017
2012
Open source
Yes
Yes
Sector
Smart Contracts
Currency
Key feature
Scientific Approach
Payment Network
Blockchain
Cardano Blockchain
XRP Ledger
Staking
Yes
No
Consensus mechanism
Proof of Stake (Ouroboros)
Ripple Consensus Algorithm
Energy consumption
Low
Low
Transactions per second
250 TPS
1,500 TPS
Institutional investors
  • Cognitive Blockchain Capital
  • Andreessen Horowitz
  • Arrington XRP Capital
  • Astronaut Capital
  • Pantera Capital
  • Blockchain Capital
  • ValueNet Capital
  • etc.
Community
840,187 followers
3.13M followers
Website
cardano.org
xrpl.org
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Cardano vs XRP

Cardano or XRP

Market data comparison of ADA versus XRP

The current price of Cardano is $0.95 and has increased by in the last 24 hours. XRP is currently trading at $3.10, with a drop of over the same period. Cardano has a market cap of $34.64B and ranks 10th. XRP follows with a market cap of $184.32B, ranking 3rd — meaning it is valued higher.

We automatically update all market data every 15 minutes, so you always have the latest figures for your comparison.

Should I buy Cardano or XRP?

You should be aware that investing in cryptocurrencies carries risks, and we are neither allowed nor intending to provide investment advice. Still, we'd like to offer some food for thought: consider the opportunities and risks associated with both Cardano and XRP. What target markets and problems are these two projects aiming to address?

If you're still unsure whether to invest in Cardano or XRP, you can take a look at some additional market data to help with your decision:

Currently, Cardano is about below it's all-time high of $3.09 reached on Sep 02, 2021.
In comparison, XRP is down approximately from it's all-time high of $3.65 on Jul 18, 2025.
Cardano currently has a 50.35% lower 24h transaction volume of $3.3B compared to XRP with $6.65B.
Over the past year, Cardano achieved a total return of , while XRP returned . Keep in mind, however, that past performance rarely guarantees future results.

Additional criteria for comparing cryptocurrencies:

  • What problem does the project aim to solve, and is a decentralized network meaningful and necessary for it?
  • How actively is the network being used?
  • Does the project have a large and active community?
  • How strong is the development activity? (e.g., on GitHub)
  • How decentralized is the underlying blockchain and the project itself?

How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

These are just a few indicators you can use to better evaluate and compare cryptocurrencies like Cardano and XRP. Cryptocurrencies and their underlying technologies are often difficult to compare — even for professionals. So don’t stress yourself out, and never let emotions or fear of missing out drive your investment decisions.

Where can I buy Cardano or XRP?

Today, there are many reputable and secure exchanges that make it easy to invest in Cardano and XRP. We're happy to help you choose the right one: simply use our exchange comparison tool to find the platform that best suits your needs. Both Cardano and XRP are well-known and in high demand, which means they're available on most major exchanges.

Crypto exchanges comparison

Which crypto wallet is best for Cardano and XRP?

If you want to store cryptocurrencies like Cardano or XRP yourself, choosing the right wallet is essential. Consider your personal preferences when deciding: Is ease of use important to you? Do you prefer maximum security with a hardware wallet (USB device), or is a software wallet sufficient for your needs? Our crypto wallet comparison helps you find the best wallet for Cardano, XRP, and many other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto wallets comparison

How does our comparison work?

Data & Interfaces

Our market data is automatically updated every 15 minutes. This means you can always use the latest data for your comparisons. We obtain the data through web interfaces (API) from CoinGecko, Santiment, DefiLlama, CoinCodex and many more

Research & Deepdive

We regularly sift through a jungle of technical whitepapers, websites, social media and forums for you. In doing so, we filter out essential and relevant information in order to present it to you clearly and comprehensibly in our comparison

Analysis & Valuation

We research and use analysis tools for blockchains and their networks, to form a fact-based foundation for our valuation. Please note that this is not an investment recommendation, but merely our personal opinion.

Community & Feedback

We check our information every 1-2 months to ensure it is up to date and correct. With the help of our community, we can find outdated or incorrect data even faster. Of course, we also welcome your feedback or suggestions for improvement!

Our data on cryptocurrencies was last updated on 2025-08-16T05:35:29.649161+00:00. Sources: CoinGecko, santiment.net, defillama.com, coincodex.com.

The content on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future price developments or as an invitation to act. All visitors are responsible for independently verifying any information before using a listed service. Trading cryptocurrencies involves significant risk and may result in the total loss of your invested capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. We do not assume any liability for the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided, including third-party content. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of these links, we may receive a commission — at no additional cost to you. All actions are taken at your own risk.