XRP vs Cardano: Which Is More Likely to Be a Millionaire Maker?

Potential millionaire-maker cryptocurrencies share two basic characteristics. First, they are usually trading for a bargain-basement price of less than a few bucks, so that investors can rapidly accumulate them. Second, they must have explosive upside potential, with the ability to deliver 10x returns within a short period.

With that in mind, two potential millionaire-maker candidates are XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) and Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA). At one time or another, both of these bargain-priced cryptos have been mentioned as potential breakout candidates with explosive upside potential. So which one is more likely to be a millionaire maker?

Five-year comparison

To answer that question, it's helpful to consider the track records of these two cryptocurrencies over the past five years. During that time period, XRP is up a stunning 242%. By way of comparison, Cardano is down 55%. It actually lost value over that time period.

XRP Price data by Charts

This one is not even close. If historical track record is a key factor in your decision-making process, then XRP is the clear winner.

Moreover, if you dig into the numbers, there's one characteristic of XRP that should make crypto investors giddy. XRP, for lack of a better word, is "spiky." Just look at the five-year chart of XRP. There are moments when it does nothing, yes, but there are brief periods of time when it delivers huge spikes for investors.

For example, on Election Day in 2024, XRP was trading for just $0.50. In less than two months, it skyrocketed to a price of $3.40, fueled by all the pro-crypto euphoria of the current Trump administration. That's why you'll see a huge spike in late 2024 and early 2025 on its chart.

Which crypto has 10x potential?

At one time, Cardano was thought to be the heir apparent to Ethereum. Both are popular smart contract blockchain networks. And the founder of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson, is also one of the original co-founders of Ethereum.

Image source: Getty Images.

Remember what I said about the potential for 10x returns? Well, if Cardano ($10 billion) ever closes the market cap gap with Ethereum ($250 billion), that implies the potential for more than 20x gains in the future.

By way of comparison, XRP also has a strong case for delivering outsize returns. It's currently trading for a price of about $1.50, but many investors think it could eventually hit a price of $10 or higher. Last year, Standard Chartered even predicted that XRP would hit a price of $12.50 by the end of 2028, due to its potential to change the way cross-border payments are made. If so, that implies a nearly 10x return on XRP.

The clear winner is XRP

At one time, I was bullish on Cardano. I believed in its mission and its long-term strategy. But I simply can't get on board with a cryptocurrency that has lost value over the past five years, and that is no longer even the top rival to Ethereum.

If you're looking for a potential millionaire-maker, go with XRP. There are no guarantees, of course, but XRP has the type of super-low price and potential for stratospheric returns required for any millionaire-maker cryptocurrency.

Dominic Basulto has positions in Cardano, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Ethereum and XRP. The Motley Fool recommends Standard Chartered Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.