- Ethereum’s dominance is under threat, XRP outperforming it since 2021.
- Analysts predict XRP could surpass Ethereum, especially with a potential ETF approval expected soon.
Ethereum has long been the dominant altcoin, maintaining the second place undisputed behind Bitcoin. However, over the past few years, Ethereum has not been doing very well, and as a result, there has been a threat to its dominance from several coins.
One specific altcoin that has performed extremely well compared to Ethereum is XRP. This has pushed analysts and pundits to speculate on the possibility of XRP surpassing ETH by market capitalization soon.
Related: Ethereum Price Poised to Skyrocket—Key Catalysts Revealed
Ethereum Vs Ripple’s XRP- Price performance since 2021
Just like the recent bull run months ago, 2021 was a good year for the crypto market. 2021 is arguably the best year for Ethereum after the asset saw a rally to $4,891; this is ETH’s all-time high. Since then, Ethereum has not come close to that level. Since then, the asset has shed over 67% to date.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $1,591, slightly down 0.93% in the last day and dropping by 1.59% in the last 7 days. ETH market cap currently stands at $190 billion
Also Read: Ethereum Crash Incoming? Peter Schiff Warns ETH Could Drop to $1,000
XRP, on the other hand, had a good year in 2021, just like Ethereum, Bitcoin, and the entire crypto market. However, unlike Ethereum, XRP has seen a decent gain of around 12% overall.

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.06 with a massive trading volume of $1.39 billion in the last 24 hours. While it’s slightly down 1.57% in the last day, XRP is still among the best-performing coins, surpassing $3 at some point this year. XRP has narrowed down the market cap to currently $120 billion, more than half that of Ethereum.
XRP Ready to Flip ETH? More Analysis Points In Favor of XRP
A recent report by Standard Chartered suggests XRP could hit $5 this year and further up in the next few years. As explored by Crypto News Flash, a 500% surge, which Standard Chartered reports predicts would see XRP surpass ETH by market cap.
According to ‘First ledger’ on X, “XRP has passed ETH in Fully Diluted Marketcap” (FDV). FDV is the estimated total market value of a cryptocurrency project if all its potential tokens were already in circulation and valued at the current market price.
. $XRP has passed ETH in Fully Diluted Marketcap pic.twitter.com/klO4GygA5h
— First Ledger (@First_Ledger) April 18, 2025
Other coins, such as Solana, the direct rival of Ethereum, have come close to overthrowing Ethereum. Solana had a busy 2024 that pushed the coin to 3rd at some point last year.
While it could still be a long way to go before XRP surpasses Ethereum by market cap, XRP ETFs’ approval would be a major boost for the asset. Ethereum already had ETFs approved last year.