Better Crypto Buy: Bitcoin vs. XRP

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) are very different types of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, the world's top cryptocurrency, is still actively mined and generally valued by its scarcity and mainstream adoption. XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger, was pre-mined prior to its launch and relies heavily on the fintech company Ripple Labs.

Since the start of this year, Bitcoin's price has fallen by 2% while XRP's price has dropped 8%. Both coins fizzled out as concerns about stickier inflation, elevated Treasury yields, and other unpredictable macro headwinds chilled the crypto market. But should you buy either of these tokens right now?

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The bull and bear case for Bitcoin

Bitcoin, which is mined with the energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, has a maximum supply of 21 million tokens. Some 19.9 million of those tokens have already been mined, but every four years, its mining rewards are cut in half. Those halvings make it increasingly difficult to mine, so its last token can't be mined until 2140.

Bitcoin's scarcity makes it more comparable to gold, silver, and other commodities. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved its first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) last year, and they've attracted considerable attention from retail, institutional, corporate, and government investors as a hedge against inflation.

All those catalysts could drive Bitcoin's price higher, but the bears believe it won't gain more traction in mainstream payments unless its price stabilizes. They'll also note that the growing power requirements for mining Bitcoin make it less environmentally friendly than proof-of-stake (PoS) tokens like Ether (CRYPTO: ETH), which can't be mined.

Unlike PoS blockchains, Bitcoin doesn't support smart contracts, which are used to develop decentralized applications (dApps) and other crypto assets. That lack of a developer ecosystem could make it less appealing than developer-oriented blockchains like Ethereum. Bitcoin could also be challenged by stablecoins -- which are mostly pinned to the U.S. dollar -- as a cheaper, faster, and more stable alternative for blockchain-based payments. Looking even further ahead, quantum computing systems could eventually crack Bitcoin's encryption and instantly solve its crypto puzzles. If that happens, Bitcoin's foundations could crumble, and its price would plummet.

The bull and bear cases for XRP

XRP isn't a PoW or PoS token. Its ledger was created by the founders of the fintech company Ripple Labs, who minted its entire supply of 100 billion tokens prior to its public debut. Ripple initially held 80 billion of those tokens, but it sold some of those tokens to fund its own expansion. That unusual capital-raising strategy sparked a lawsuit from the SEC -- which accused Ripple of selling its own XRP tokens as unlicensed securities -- in 2020.

As a result, Ripple lost several of its top fintech customers and the major crypto exchanges delisted XRP. But earlier this year, that closely watched lawsuit finally concluded with a lighter-than-expected fine for Ripple. The top crypto exchanges subsequently relisted XRP, several crypto firms submitted their applications for new ETFs, and its first spot price ETF was launched last month.

XRP was also increasingly used as a "bridge currency" for fiat transactions on Ripple. By directly converting fiat currencies to XRP, Ripple made those transactions faster and cheaper than fiat-to-fiat conversions and cross-border transfers. Ripple's recent application for a U.S. bank charter could also support its expansion into a full-fledged bank and further stabilize XRP's value. To reach more developers, XRP plans to integrate more Ethereum-compatible "sidechains" for smart contracts into its ledger.

All of those tailwinds could drive XRP's price higher, but it could also face competition from newer stablecoins, such as Ripple's own Ripple USD. XRP also can't be valued by its scarcity, and it still has limited ways to reach new developers. It also isn't being as widely adopted as Bitcoin among smaller and larger investors.

The better buy: Bitcoin

XRP finally overcame some of its biggest challenges, but there simply aren't enough catalysts on the horizon. Meanwhile, the bull case for Bitcoin is much clearer: its supply is limited, it's getting harder to mine, and it's gaining traction as a potential reserve asset for the U.S. and other countries. Although stablecoins and quantum computing may pose long-term challenges for Bitcoin, I believe it will have more upside potential than XRP for the foreseeable future.

Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.