- XRP outperformed Bitcoin massively over the past year (387% vs 78%) but has lagged in the past month.
- Whale activity, sell-offs, and overheated derivatives pressured XRP recently, triggering a 9.34% drop.
- For XRP to outpace Bitcoin again, altcoin market momentum must return and Bitcoin dominance needs to cool.
When you stack XRP up against Bitcoin, the numbers tell a pretty wild story. Over the past year, XRP has absolutely crushed it with a 387% return, while Bitcoin, despite all the hype, managed just 78%. But zoom in a bit closer and the picture shifts. Over the last month, XRP slipped about 8.44%, while Bitcoin dropped only 2.98%. Short-term, BTC’s been steadier — but long-term, XRP’s clearly been the bigger mover.
Can XRP Outpace Bitcoin by 2025?
Analysts think so. Even though XRP is already a large-cap coin, there’s a decent chance it could still outperform Bitcoin by the end of 2025. Part of that comes down to reserves. XRP reserves on Coinbase have plunged 90% over the past three months. During that same stretch, XRP blasted to a new all-time high at $3.65 before cooling off into the $2.8–$3 range.
But not everything’s rosy. AMBCrypto flagged strong selling activity on-chain and a derivatives market that’s looking overheated. To make things worse, a whale dumped 16.48 million XRP onto Coinbase, stirring up chatter about a looming price dip. Sure enough, XRP tumbled 9.34% on Sept. 22, while Bitcoin only shaved off about 2.98% in the same market-wide correction.
Altcoin Market Signals Mixed Outlook
Looking at the bigger altcoin space, the market cap outside Bitcoin and Ethereum (TOTAL3) hasn’t managed to push past $1.13 trillion since late 2024. In fact, after teasing a breakout just ten days ago, it slid back down to $1.08 trillion — another failed attempt that’s soured sentiment.
At the same time, Bitcoin’s dominance is creeping higher, which usually means altcoins like XRP lose momentum. For XRP to really shine again, both Bitcoin dominance needs to ease and the altcoin market cap has to push higher. Without that shift, XRP could struggle to lead the pack.
Bottom Line: XRP’s Big Picture Still Beats Bitcoin
Even with short-term pain, XRP’s longer-term gains look hard to ignore. A 387% rally over the past year dwarfs Bitcoin’s 78%. Yes, XRP’s been cooling lately with its 8.44% dip this month compared to BTC’s softer 3.5% drop. But if the trends flip — with altcoins regaining traction and Bitcoin dominance slipping — XRP could once again run circles around Bitcoin’s returns heading into late 2025.
