|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
New: Instantly spot drawdowns, dips, insider moves, and breakout themes across Maps and Screener.
XRP and Dogecoin have both significantly outperformed Bitcoin over the last five years.
The bull case for Dogecoin hinges on positive speculative momentum returning for meme coins.
Investors should weigh their personal risk tolerance and return goals when choosing between XRP and Bitcoin.
Even though the cryptocurrency market has been highly volatile over the last half-decade, investors who took a buy-and-hold approach with top coins generally wound up seeing strong returns. As of this writing, Bitcoin's (CRYPTO: BTC) token price has risen 171% over the last five years of trading. Meanwhile, XRP's (CRYPTO: XRP) token price has rocketed 613% higher across the stretch. Dogecoin's (CRYPTO: DOGE) gains have been even more impressive -- coming in at 1,390% over the period.
Which of these cryptocurrencies looks like the best buy right now? Read on to see which token you should back if you're looking to establish or expand exposure to the crypto market.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Image source: Getty Images.
For a meme coin, Dogecoin has demonstrated impressive longevity. The cryptocurrency has a market capitalization of roughly $21.4 billion and ranks as the ninth-largest coin by valuation. While the meme coin's ability to retain a top-10 ranking on the crypto charts has been impressive, it doesn't mean that the cryptocurrency is a top long-term buy.
Even though Dogecoin has dramatically outperformed Bitcoin over the last five years, more recent performance tells a different story. While Bitcoin has fallen roughly 12% over the last year, Dogecoin has plummeted 64%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is up 293.5% over the last three years, and Dogecoin is up just 46%. The market's leading meme coin comes with a lot of risk, and relative adoption trends suggest that the potential upside isn't worth the trade-off.
Bitcoin continues to be the largest cryptocurrency by valuation and has a market capitalization of roughly $1.8 trillion. Meanwhile, XRP is the fifth-largest token overall and has a market cap of roughly $119 billion. The difference in valuations reflects vastly different levels of support for the respective tokens. Bitcoin is unlikely to lose its status as the market's leading token by valuation any time soon, but XRP's smaller market cap could leave the door open for more explosive upside.
With that in mind, I think investors have to consider their personal risk tolerance and reward goals when choosing between Bitcoin and XRP. Pricing dynamics for Bitcoin continue to have a powerful effect across the crypto market, and they play a big role in shaping XRP's valuation momentum. If the crypto market sees strong bullish momentum over the next year and beyond, XRP stands a good chance of outperforming Bitcoin. Alternatively, I think Bitcoin will likely outperform XRP if gains for the crypto market are relatively muted -- or if bearish momentum accelerates.
Before you buy stock in XRP, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and XRP wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $464,439!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,150,455!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 949% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 195% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of January 26, 2026.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
| 7 hours | |
| 7 hours | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-25 | |
| Jan-24 | |
| Jan-24 | |
| Jan-24 | |
| Jan-23 | |
| Jan-23 | |
| Jan-23 |
Join thousands of traders who make more informed decisions with our premium features. Real-time quotes, advanced visualizations, backtesting, and much more.
Learn more about FINVIZ*Elite