The call for XRP to take the crown from Ethereum as the leading altcoin continues to gain traction.
A growing faction within the crypto community believes that Ethereum’s dominance in the altcoin market is nearing its end, and that XRP is poised to take its place. Prominent XRP community researcher SMQKE recently rekindled this discussion by presenting a case for why 2025 could mark the turning point.
One of the factors fueling this speculation is XRP’s stronger performance, especially compared to Ethereum’s recent underperformance relative to Bitcoin. For context, ETH is down over 30% against BTC this year. Meanwhile, XRP has only dropped 6% against the crypto firstborn within the same period.
Ethereum’s Struggles Are Catching Up
Ethereum has long held the top altcoin spot thanks to its first-mover advantage in smart contracts and decentralized applications. However, SMQKE argues that Ethereum’s technical shortcomings are beginning to outweigh its legacy position.
In particular, SMQKE pointed out Ethereum’s ongoing scalability issues, gas fees that soared as high as $200 per transaction in 2022, network congestion, and costly delays. These problems have persisted despite multiple upgrades.
These inefficiencies are reportedly driving developers and users toward faster, more cost-effective alternatives.
XRP Ledger as a Challenger
SMQKE identifies the XRP Ledger (XRPL) as the most promising contender for replacing Ethereum as the top altcoin. XRPL offers financial-grade reliability and global scalability, gaining attention for its superior technology and network efficiency.
Specifically, SMQKE cited a publication stating that XRPL’s automated market maker (AMM) model outpaces Ethereum-based AMMs in speed, scalability, and efficiency.
It also noted that projects are migrating to XRPL due to its lower fees and carbon-neutral footprint. Notably, new platforms and liquidity protocols are increasingly adopting XRPL for global payments and capital markets applications.
The paper further claimed that XRPL minimizes slippage and impermanent loss, outperforming Ethereum’s aging DeFi infrastructure.
Given XRPL’s highlighted advantages, SMQKE suggested that while Ethereum may have pioneered DeFi, its infrastructure is aging rapidly.
Harvard Engineer Also Predicts XRP Flippening
Meanwhile, Harvard-trained computer scientist Austin King, co-founder of Omni Foundation, has also expressed confidence that XRP could soon overtake Ethereum in market capitalization.
King argued that Ethereum is losing ground due to inflation, centralization, and a lack of clear development progress. He criticized Ethereum for abandoning its deflationary model by shifting activity to centralized Layer 2 networks.
In contrast, he praised XRP for its efficient architecture, deflationary characteristics, and clear use cases in tokenized assets and cross-border payments.
Other industry figures, such as attorney John Deaton, believe XRP could overtake Ethereum by the end of the year. According to Deaton, there’s significant Wall Street interest in XRP, as evidenced by more than 10 spot ETF applications submitted to the SEC.
Currently, XRP boasts a market cap of $128 billion and has surged 350% over the past year. If it reaches $6, up 175% from its current price of $2.18, it could surpass Ethereum’s $316 billion market cap.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
