Cardano vs XRP: 12 months, side by side.
Both fell in the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, but not by the same amount: XRP -41.0%, Cardano -62.0%, a gap of 21.0 percentage points. Cardano swung 1.2x as hard, and their daily moves lined up closely (correlation 0.83).
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How much each one swung
Cardano was somewhat more volatile than XRP, 76.2% annualized against 64.9%. Cardano moved more than 5% in a day 65 times, XRP 36 times. On a typical day Cardano moved 2.38%, 1.5x the 1.63% of XRP. Their worst day was the same, Feb 5, 2026: Cardano fell 14.3% and XRP 19.7%. The day they parted most was a rally for both, Feb 6, 2026, but XRP rose 21.2% and Cardano only 12.6%.
| Measure | Cardano | XRP |
|---|---|---|
| Close on Oct 10, 2025 | $0.6553 | $2.37 |
| Close on Oct 10, 2026 | $0.2488 | $1.40 |
| 1-year change | -62.0% | -41.0% |
| Annualized volatility | 76.2% | 64.9% |
| Median daily move | 2.38% | 1.63% |
| Days with a move over 5% | 65 | 36 |
| Best day | +15.2%, Aug 21, 2026 | +21.2%, Feb 6, 2026 |
| Worst day | -14.3%, Feb 5, 2026 | -19.7%, Feb 5, 2026 |
| Maximum drawdown | -80.3% | -62.5% |
| Lowest close | $0.1435, Jun 25, 2026 | $0.9925, Aug 16, 2026 |
| Days that closed higher | 151 of 365 | 156 of 365 |
| $500, one buy | $189.84 | $295.07 |
| $500, 52 weekly buys | $480.93 | $476.98 |
How closely Cardano and XRP moved together
Their daily moves were closely linked, with a correlation of 0.83. They closed in the same direction on 300 of the 365 days and in opposite directions on 65. On average XRP moved 0.71% for every 1% move in Cardano, a smaller reaction than one for one.
XRP had the better day more often than Cardano: on 205 of the 365 days. $500 in each, bought on Oct 10, 2025 and held, ended at $189.84 in Cardano and $295.07 in XRP. XRP stayed in front for most of the year, and the gap was widest on Jun 23, 2026, when its holding was worth 2.02 times the Cardano one. XRP also did better in eight of the 11 full months. They differed most in November 2025, a month that went the same way for both: Cardano -31.9%, XRP -14.1%.
The deepest falls
Cardano's maximum drawdown went 17.8 percentage points deeper: 80.3%, from $0.7295 on Oct 13, 2025 to $0.1435 on Jun 25, 2026. XRP's worst run was 62.5%. Cardano bottomed first, on Jun 25, 2026. XRP kept falling for another 52 days, to Aug 16, 2026. By Oct 10, 2026, Cardano was 65.9% below its 12-month high and XRP 47.1% below its own.
Next to the other 17 comparisons
- Ranked by correlation, from most to least linked, this pair came sixth of 18.
- Ranked by how far apart the two 1-year results were, it came sixth of 18.
- By the difference in volatility between the two coins, it ranked tenth of the 18 pairs.
$500 in each: one buy or 52 weekly buys
Spreading the $500 over 52 weekly buys beat a single buy on Oct 10, 2025 for both coins: almost every weekly buy, 50 for Cardano and 49 for XRP, came below the starting price. Neither weekly test got back to $500: Cardano ended at $480.93, XRP at $476.98. The two weekly results were within $3.95 of each other.
Cardano, one buy
$189.84
-62.0%
763 ADA at $0.6553.
Cardano, 52 weekly buys
$480.93
-3.8%
Average cost $0.2587 per ADA.
XRP, one buy
$295.07
-41.0%
211 XRP at $2.37.
XRP, 52 weekly buys
$476.98
-4.6%
Average cost $1.47 per XRP.
Method: Kraken daily closes (UTC) from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026, one buy of $500 at the first close or $500 / 52 at every seventh close, both valued at the last close with no fees. Other amounts: DCA calculator.
What sets Cardano and XRP apart
Cardano and XRP were both launched to improve on earlier blockchains, in different directions. Cardano is a proof-of-stake smart contract platform where ADA holders can stake their coins. The XRP Ledger focuses on payments and uses neither staking nor mining: a set of validators agrees on each new ledger. Both coins have a fixed supply, 45 billion ADA and 100 billion XRP.
Both have large, loyal communities of individual holders and are often discussed together as older altcoins from the 2010s. XRP's price has reacted to Ripple's legal news, Cardano's to its upgrade milestones.
Each coin's full year: Cardano trading simulator and XRP trading simulator.
How to compare Cardano and XRP in Staxo
- Step 1
Find both in the Market tab
Cardano and XRP are both among the 10 coins on Staxo's free plan, so you can trade them with the $500 in demo money you start with, using market orders and up to 10 trades a day.
- Step 2
Buy the same amount of each
Put $100 into each at the same moment: over the last year, the Cardano position moved about 1.2x as much as the XRP one.
- Step 3
Check them side by side
Open your Portfolio once a day and count the days the two positions go opposite ways. Over the last 12 months that happened on 65 of 365 days, often enough to notice within two weeks.
- Step 4
Read the RSI on both charts
The coin screen shows the RSI(14) on the free plan. Over the last year Cardano spent more days below 30 (29 against 13) and XRP more days above 70 (10 against 6), so watch how differently the two stretch. Staxo Pro adds MACD, Bollinger Bands and candlestick charts, plus short selling and leverage at 1x, 2x and 5x.
Cardano vs XRP questions
Which was more volatile, Cardano or XRP?
Cardano, at 76.2% annualized volatility against 64.9% from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. Its worst day was -14.3%, XRP's -19.7%.
Do Cardano and XRP move together?
Mostly. The correlation of their daily returns was 0.83 over the 365 days to Oct 10, 2026 (1 means always together), and 65 days went in opposite directions.
Which did better over the last 12 months, Cardano or XRP?
XRP lost less: -41.0% against -62.0% for Cardano from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. $500 in 52 weekly buys ended at $480.93 in Cardano and $476.98 in XRP. That describes the past year only and says nothing about which will do better next.
More comparisons
Trade Cardano and XRP with $500 in demo money.
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Educational content, not investment advice. The figures describe prices from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026 and say nothing about which coin does better next. Staxo is a simulator: you practice with demo money, never real money.