XRP vs Bitcoin: 12 months, side by side.
In the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, XRP fell 41.0% and Bitcoin 26.6%: XRP lost 14.4 percentage points more than Bitcoin. XRP swung 1.5x as hard, and their daily moves lined up closely (correlation 0.86).
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How much each one swung
XRP was clearly the wilder of the two: 64.9% annualized volatility against 44.3% for Bitcoin. XRP had more than twice as many days with a move above 5%: 36 against 17. On a typical day XRP moved 1.63%, 1.3x the 1.26% of Bitcoin. Their worst day was the same, Feb 5, 2026: XRP fell 19.7% and Bitcoin 13.9%. So was their best day, Feb 6, 2026, when XRP rose 21.2% and Bitcoin 12.2%. The day they parted most was a rally for both, Jan 5, 2026, but XRP rose 12.3% and Bitcoin only 2.6%.
| Measure | XRP | Bitcoin |
|---|---|---|
| Close on Oct 10, 2025 | $2.37 | $113,000 |
| Close on Oct 10, 2026 | $1.40 | $82,913 |
| 1-year change | -41.0% | -26.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 64.9% | 44.3% |
| Median daily move | 1.63% | 1.26% |
| Days with a move over 5% | 36 | 17 |
| Best day | +21.2%, Feb 6, 2026 | +12.2%, Feb 6, 2026 |
| Worst day | -19.7%, Feb 5, 2026 | -13.9%, Feb 5, 2026 |
| Maximum drawdown | -62.5% | -49.2% |
| Lowest close | $0.9925, Aug 16, 2026 | $58,532, Jun 30, 2026 |
| Days that closed higher | 156 of 365 | 175 of 365 |
| $500, one buy | $295.07 | $366.87 |
| $500, 52 weekly buys | $476.98 | $540.43 |
How closely XRP and Bitcoin moved together
Their daily moves were closely linked, with a correlation of 0.86. They closed in the same direction on 306 of the 365 days and in opposite directions on 59. On average Bitcoin moved 0.59% for every 1% move in XRP, a smaller reaction than one for one.
Bitcoin had the better day more often than XRP: on 207 of the 365 days. $500 in each, bought on Oct 10, 2025 and held, ended at $295.07 in XRP and $366.87 in Bitcoin. The lead changed hands during the year: the XRP holding was ahead by up to 20% on Nov 24, 2025, and behind by up to 26% on Aug 18, 2026. Bitcoin also did better in seven of the 11 full months. They differed most in December 2025, a month that went the same way for both: XRP -14.6%, Bitcoin -3.2%.
The deepest falls
XRP's maximum drawdown went 13.3 percentage points deeper: 62.5%, from $2.65 on Oct 26, 2025 to $0.9925 on Aug 16, 2026. Bitcoin's worst run was 49.2%. Bitcoin bottomed first, on Jun 30, 2026. XRP kept falling for another 47 days, to Aug 16, 2026. By Oct 10, 2026, XRP was 47.1% below its 12-month high and Bitcoin 28.0% below its own.
Next to the other 17 comparisons
- Ranked by correlation, from most to least linked, this pair came fourth of 18.
- Ranked by how far apart the two 1-year results were, it came tenth of 18.
- By the difference in volatility between the two coins, it ranked fifth 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, 49 for XRP and 51 for Bitcoin, came below the starting price. Only the Bitcoin test ended above $500 ($540.43); the XRP one finished at $476.98. Bitcoin's weekly test finished $63.45 ahead of XRP's.
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.
Bitcoin, one buy
$366.87
-26.6%
0.00442 BTC at $113,000.
Bitcoin, 52 weekly buys
$540.43
+8.1%
Average cost $76,710 per BTC.
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 XRP and Bitcoin apart
XRP and Bitcoin both started as payment networks, but they work very differently. Bitcoin's coins are created by miners over time, up to a cap of 21 million. All 100 billion XRP were created when the XRP Ledger launched in 2012, and the ledger confirms payments in a few seconds without any mining: a set of validators agrees on each new version of the ledger.
XRP has often reacted to news about Ripple, the company, such as its long court case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has no company behind it, so news of that kind does not apply to it. Many traders also follow XRP priced in bitcoin, on XRP/BTC markets.
Each coin's full year: XRP trading simulator and Bitcoin trading simulator.
How to compare XRP and Bitcoin in Staxo
- Step 1
Find both in the Market tab
XRP and Bitcoin 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 XRP position moved about 1.5x as much as the Bitcoin one.
- Step 3
Check them side by side
Open your Portfolio once a day and compare the two positions: over the last 12 months they moved the same way on 306 of 365 days.
- Step 4
Read the RSI on both charts
The coin screen shows the RSI(14) on the free plan. Over the last year Bitcoin had more oversold days, below 30, than XRP (22 against 13). Staxo Pro adds MACD, Bollinger Bands and candlestick charts, plus short selling and leverage at 1x, 2x and 5x.
XRP vs Bitcoin questions
Which was more volatile, XRP or Bitcoin?
XRP, at 64.9% annualized volatility against 44.3% from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. Its worst day was -19.7%, Bitcoin's -13.9%.
Do XRP and Bitcoin move together?
Very much so. Their daily returns had a correlation of 0.86 over the 365 days to Oct 10, 2026, where 1 means they always move together. Holding both did little to spread risk.
Which did better over the last 12 months, XRP or Bitcoin?
Bitcoin lost less: -26.6% against -41.0% for XRP from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. $500 in 52 weekly buys ended at $476.98 in XRP and $540.43 in Bitcoin. That describes the past year only and says nothing about which will do better next.
More comparisons
Trade XRP and Bitcoin 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.