$BTC $XRP

Feature

Bitcoin (BTC)

XRP (Ripple)

Purpose

Digital store of value, decentralized currency

Designed for fast, low-cost cross-border payments

Founded

2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto

2012 by Ripple Labs

Supply Limit

21 million BTC

100 billion XRP (pre-mined)

Transaction Speed

~10 minutes

~3-5 seconds

Consensus Mechanism

Proof of Work (energy-intensive)

Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA)

Decentralization

Highly decentralized

More centralized (Ripple Labs controls some nodes)

Use Case

Store of value, investment

Bank and remittance settlement layer

Regulatory Issues

General regulatory attention

Ongoing SEC lawsuit (as of 2024)

Volatility

High

High, but often reacts to legal news