When you’re new to cryptocurrency, the safest place to start investing is with one of the largest coins. With smaller cryptocurrencies, the risk of investing in a scam or a project that never takes off is much higher.

Two of the biggest names are XRP (XRP 2.10%) and Bitcoin (BTC 1.76%). Both are established cryptocurrencies: XRP ranks in the top five by market cap, and Bitcoin has always been the largest coin on the market. But they have very different uses and levels of risk. Here’s what you need to know to decide between the two as a new crypto investor.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

How Bitcoin and XRP work

Launched in 2009, Bitcoin pioneered the concept of cryptocurrency, a decentralized digital currency that uses a peer-to-peer…