AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Highlights
- Speculation grows over XRP's potential inclusion in the U.S. strategic reserve following Trump's executive order.
- MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin purchases have seen massive profits, fueling the Bitcoin-XRP rivalry.
- Matt Hamilton's comparison highlights a potential $50B+ profit from XRP, far surpassing Bitcoin returns.
The ongoing debate between the Bitcoin and XRP communities has reached new heights following recent developments, including speculations that XRP might secure a place in the U.S. strategic reserve. This speculation stems from the recent executive order on cryptocurrencies issued by President Donald Trump, which has further fueled tensions within the crypto world. Amid the growing uncertainty, former Ripple and current Arbitrum developer advocate Matt Hamilton pointed to underlying factors contributing to the ongoing hostility from Bitcoin maximalists toward XRP.
MicroStrategy, the software company led by Michael Saylor, has been a significant player in the Bitcoin market. Between August 2020 and January 2025, the company acquired over 450,000 Bitcoin, spending $28.2 billion in total. As of January 2025, this substantial investment has appreciated to $45.3 billion, yielding a profit of $17.1 billion. These figures underscore Bitcoin's impressive price performance, especially given the significant drops in the broader crypto market. Notably, MicroStrategy's largest acquisitions took place in late 2024, with the company purchasing thousands of Bitcoin at premium prices close to $97,000 per coin.
However, Hamilton's recent disclosure presented a thought-provoking hypothetical: What if MicroStrategy had instead invested in XRP? According to his analysis, had MicroStrategy allocated the same $28.2 billion to XRP, the company could have acquired 31.4 billion XRP, which would now be worth an estimated $79 billion. This hypothetical scenario, using historical prices of XRP, suggests that MicroStrategy could have seen a massive profit of $50.4 billion, significantly outpacing Bitcoin’s gains by more than $33 billion.
Hamilton’s revelation quickly sparked debate within the crypto community. Bitcoiners, such as Arniel Sia, quickly pointed out that XRP's price has struggled to recover from its 2017 peak of $3.84, unlike Bitcoin, which has since surpassed its all-time highs. Despite these criticisms, the comparison between Bitcoin and XRP continues to intensify, especially as Bitcoin continues to lead in market cap, while XRP’s performance remains a topic of contention.
The growing speculation about XRP’s future, combined with its potential inclusion in the U.S. strategic reserve, is undoubtedly influencing the dynamics of the ongoing Bitcoin-XRP rivalry. As the debate continues to unfold, the crypto community is closely watching how these developments will impact the broader landscape and which asset will emerge as the dominant force in the coming years.
