The XRP (XRP +3.31%) and Bitcoin (BTC +1.31%) cryptocurrencies both set new record highs during 2025. But the last several months haven’t been very fruitful, with XRP losing 62% of its peak value, and Bitcoin plunging by 44%.

Investors are trimming their exposure to speculative assets like cryptocurrency amid heightened political and economic turmoil, but XRP and Bitcoin possess unique qualities that could create value during the long term. Yet, I think one is a better buy than the other. 

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The case for XRP

Ripple is the creator of a unique payments network called Ripple Payments, which lets banks settle cross-border transactions with one another directly, regardless of what existing infrastructure they…