Cardano (ADA) vs Ripple (XRP) Comparison | Which One Is the Better Investment?

This article will compare two coins with nearly the same market cap. They are among the top 10 cryptocurrencies while not being quite the same in terms of functionality. What makes them a bit similar is that both brands work with entities that initially were not associated with cryptocurrencies. Ripple works closely with banks, and Cardano works with all kinds of organizations and is already used by governments. Let's see the features of these coins and which is the better investment for you.

1. What Is Cardano?
2. What Is Ripple?
3. Cardano vs. Ripple (table)
4. Cardano vs. Ripple (details)

What Is Cardano?

Cardano is a blockchain-based ecosystem that can host and run decentralized apps (dApps) and smart contracts. In terms of functionality, it resembles Ethereum, but unlike the latter, Cardano was created with the potential for scalability and high operation speed in mind. Bitcoin and Ethereum are both relatively slow networks. It makes their adoption a more challenging task. Cardano is more suitable for everyday use.

The platform was launched in 2015. One of the key creators of Cardano is Charles Hoskinson, one of the Ethereum co-founders. Unlike Buterin, he was positive about making Ethereum a commercial project. That's why Hoskinson was omitted from the Ethereum team, and also, that's why Cardano was more inclusive in terms of sponsorships and partnerships.

The native token of the Cardano ecosystem is ADA. As of July 2022, the token's market cap exceeds $15 billion. Several governments use Cardano to handle data, while celebs and global brands use the apps built on Cardano. It's safe to say that Cardano is a successful project, and it continues its growth and development.

What Is Ripple?

Ripple is a payment protocol. It uses a cryptocurrency called XRP, which is often called Ripple, although that's not entirely correct. The platform was launched in 2012 in the US. Ripple was among the first significant cryptocurrency brands to cooperate with banks and financial institutions, which was unusual for the cryptocurrency industry at that period. Some criticized Ripple for relative centralization, while others praised the fast speed of the network and low fees.

In 2017 and 2018, Ripple was a scorching topic online. At some point, XRP's market cap was the second biggest after Bitcoin's. 2020 wasn't that bright for Ripple, and the coin went below its usual third position in the rating. Also, 2020 was the year when Ripple went under attack from the SEC and was delisted by Coinbase. As of July 2022, XRP holds the 7th position with a market cap exceeding $15 billion.

Cardano vs. Ripple (table)

Cardano vs. Ripple (details)

The price and the market cap 

In terms of market cap, ADA and XRP are the closest rivals. As of July 2022, both cryptocurrencies have a market cap of around $15 billion and occupy the 7th and the 8th positions in the rating. The prices for both coins are in the same zone – between 30 and 50 cents per coin. In general, ADA tends to have a higher price than XRP. The latter never reached a 90 cents mark in the latest 180 days, while ADA crossed the $1 line several times in the same period of time.

One may suggest that XRP's best days are gone. The coin reached its all-time high back in 2018. ADA had its highest price in September of 2021. Both ATHs were about the same – between $3 and $3.5. In general, it seems that ADA performs better than XRP as of now. Not that we are claiming that XRP has no future, but Cardano's coin price trajectory appears to be more promising.

Popular markets

It is not hard to guess that as the market leaders, both coins are heavily presented on crypto exchanges. What is less obvious is that because of legal issues with Ripple, XRP was dropped by the largest US exchange Coinbase. In this sense, Cardano (ADA) has a more solid presence on the market. It's worth saying, though, that a single huge exchange delisting XRP is not a tragedy for the future of this coin. Even in the US, XRP is available on many top exchanges, including Kraken and many others.

Platform

Both ecosystems are based on their custom platforms. It makes them independent and robust compared to rivals building their platforms on top of third-party blockchains.

Consensus mechanism

Cardano and Ripple use eco-friendly consensus mechanisms. Cardano leans on a popular Proof-of-Stake. Ripple is based on its unique consensus mechanism, The Ripple Protocol consensus algorithm (RPCA). Both protocols are criticized for limited decentralization. Nevertheless, both of them still work the way they should. We can't say anything bad about PoS and RPCA, nor can we prefer one over the other. 

Products

The additional products of both ecosystems are barely aimed at an end-user and are instead targeted at researchers and entrepreneurs. It is not bad, however, adding some products would have benefited both Ripple and Cardano.

Use cases

Speaking of use cases, we should note that Ripple is a less inclusive platform. It was created mainly for private banking purposes, and it doesn't have that much to offer on top of serving as a payment operator. Cardano is a multi-functional project that can be used to build other diverse products. It makes Cardano more versatile than Ripple. Potentially, Cardano's use cases can cover a bigger population.