Cardano (ADA) vs XRP (XRP): comparison
Side-by-side comparison of Cardano and XRP: how their prices moved, how they differ technically and what each is used for.
ADA and XRP: key specs
| Cardano (ADA) | XRP (XRP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.208015 | $1.37 |
| Ticker | ADA | XRP |
| Type | native blockchain coin | native blockchain coin |
| Launched | 2017 | 2012 |
| Created by | Charles Hoskinson | Ripple Labs |
| Consensus | Proof of Stake (Ouroboros) | XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol |
| Block time | ~20 sec | ~4 sec |
| Max supply | 45 B ADA | 100 B XRP |
| Transaction privacy | public transactions | public transactions |
| Circulating supply | 37.51 B ADA | 62.88 B XRP |
| Market cap | $7.81 B | $86.49 B |
| Market cap rank | #19 | #5 |
CoinGecko data as of Sep 11, 2026, 19:33. How we calculate the data
Price change: ADA vs XRP
Both prices are set to 100 at the start of the period, so the chart shows which coin grew or fell more, not the prices themselves.
| Period | ADA | XRP |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | −6.42% | −6.83% |
| 30 days | +10.71% | +32.33% |
| 90 days | +20.56% | +17.56% |
The correlation of their daily price changes over the last 90 days is 0.76 (strong).
ADA or XRP: what each is used for
- Smart contracts and appsCardano
- Payments and transfersXRP
How Cardano and XRP work
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 used 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 used for
XRP is used for cross-border settlement, as a bridge currency between fiat currencies and for fast transfers between exchanges.