XRP vs. Bitcoin: Which Wins During Trump's Tariff War?

Farmers once watched the sky for storm fronts, and today, investors track the president's unpredictable tariff tweets. In early April, President Donald Trump slapped a blanket 10% levy on all imports, with even steeper surcharges for a handful of unlucky trading partners. Gold promptly ripped to record prices as investors flocked to safe assets.

The crypto market's response has been a bit harder to read. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) shed 2.5% the morning Trump floated a 50% E.U. tariff. Meanwhile, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) currently hugs $2.20 after a quiet month.

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Two assets, two very different narratives, and one messy set of tariff policies that seem to keep changing. Which asset looks sturdier right now? Let's dive in and figure it out.

Stores of value are getting more valuable

Gold's 21% climb this year so far underscores a simple idea. When policy risk jumps, capital chases scarcity.

Bitcoin sells that same scarcity story as part of the core of its investment thesis. Only 512 new coins are mined daily, and the crypto's price is up by 11% this year so far.

Still, tariffs sap global liquidity via higher input costs and slower trade. That tilts short-term flows toward cash, not volatile assets. Bitcoin's move since Trump's April decree shows its perceived safety status remains largely unproven and conditional on risk appetite. Assuming the White House follows through with more sector-specific tariffs as the president keeps claiming, Bitcoin could experience doldrums until the ongoing uncertainty passes.

Image source: Getty Images.

Over the longer haul, though, its margin of safety is driven by supply, not headlines. If broad tariffs weaken the dollar, a non-fiat-currency store of value with deep liquidity may absorb the same inflation hedge inflows that gold currently enjoys. That edge would be structural and long-lasting, if it happens.

Payment rails over reserves

Bitcoin may win the narrative war over the long haul, but XRP is quietly winning contracts that increase its value today.

Ripple, which issues XRP, announced on May 19 that it had expanded the chain's network to include Zand Bank and a fintech called Mamo, both of which are based in the U.A.E.

Tariffs reroute supply chains, creating new bilateral corridors across which money needs to flow smoothly. It's easier for that to happen with solutions that natively comply with local regulations.

On that note, XRP's relatively new and built-in account-freeze, blacklist, and trustline features let banks satisfy know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) rules without requiring the patchwork of fixes that other blockchains might. If tariff policy turbulence endures, XRP's cross-border payment volume should grow even if the overall volume of trade shrinks, because companies can fragment production to dodge duties, and there's always an incentive to cut costs.

XRP's niche, cheaply settling money transfers across borders, could see persistent throughput gains. Yet investors must recall that these flows translate into modest net buying of XRP for liquidity, not necessarily long-term locking as with Bitcoin purchased for holding.

Your time horizon and risk tolerance matter here

Which asset fares better depends on your investing timetable and risk tolerance.

Bitcoin's upside rests on scarcity, which isn't going anywhere regardless of tariffs (or the lack thereof). It's the more conservative choice.

Therefore, long-term oriented investors who want a digital alternative to gold may prefer Bitcoin's proven scarcity and growing status as an investment that institutions want to hold. A slowdown in the global economy can hit Bitcoin too, but it's hard to envision pretty much anything short of a total collapse bringing it to a halt.

XRP offers a different risk curve. XRP is the riskier and more volatile investment, but it likely has a better chance of growing faster over the next year or perhaps even longer due to its actual utility.

Its utility as a payment processor and money transfer platform means that demand for the coin rises when trade friction rises, but it isn't scarce at all. More supply is unlocked from escrow each month. Meanwhile, any setback in Ripple's regulatory diplomacy could freeze adoption overnight.

No outcome is guaranteed here. It might be a good move to buy both coins, provided you're willing to hold them.

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Alex Carchidi has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.