Cardano (ADA) against XRP (XRP)
Cardano and XRP next to each other: how the prices travelled, what differs under the hood and what each coin is built for.
ADA and XRP: what is under the hood
| Cardano (ADA) | XRP (XRP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.19921 | $1.30 |
| Ticker | ADA | XRP |
| Type | coin of its own network | coin of its own network |
| Launched | 2017 | 2012 |
| Built by | Charles Hoskinson | Ripple Labs |
| Consensus | Proof of Stake (Ouroboros) | XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol |
| Block | ~20 sec | ~4 sec |
| Supply cap | 45 B ADA | 100 B XRP |
| Privacy | transfers are public | transfers are public |
| In circulation | 37.52 B ADA | 62.88 B XRP |
| Market cap | $7.48 B | $81.88 B |
| Rank by cap | #19 | #5 |
Source: CoinGecko, Sep 17, 2026 11:54. Where these numbers come from
Who went where: ADA and XRP
Both prices start the period at 100, so the chart shows which one rose or fell harder — not the prices themselves.
| Period | ADA | XRP |
|---|---|---|
| Week | −7.44% | −7.12% |
| Month | +12.64% | +29.23% |
| Quarter | +19.94% | +13.07% |
Over the quarter their daily moves line up at 0.8 (they travel together).
What each one is built for: ADA and XRP
- Smart contracts and appsCardano
- Payments and transfersXRP
How Cardano and XRP are built
How Cardano works
Cardano uses the Ouroboros consensus protocol, with a block about every 20 seconds, and an extended UTXO model. ADA holders can delegate to stake pools without locking their coins. The maximum supply is 45 billion ADA.
What Cardano is for
ADA pays fees, is staked to secure the network and is used in Cardano-based DeFi and NFT applications.
How XRP works
The XRP Ledger does not use mining: validators agree on the order of transactions through a consensus protocol, and a new ledger closes every 3–5 seconds. All 100 billion XRP were created at launch. Each account must keep a small base reserve of XRP to exist on the ledger.
What XRP is for
XRP is used for cross-border settlement, as a bridge currency between fiat currencies and for fast transfers between exchanges.