Key Takeaways
- Former Ripple CTO David Schwartz believes XRP could eventually overtake Bitcoin by growing faster, not because Bitcoin collapses.
- XRP would need to trade at roughly $25 to surpass Bitcoin’s current market capitalization.
- Analyst Ali Martinez says a monthly close above $3.66 could activate a long-term technical target near $60.
Former Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz believes XRP could eventually overtake Bitcoin.
The famed XRP Ledger architect said its greater speed and functionality could allow it to capture a larger share of Bitcoin’s growth, rather than any potential “flippening” being driven by Bitcoin collapsing.
His comments arrive as crypto analyst Ali Martinez’s possible long-term XRP price target of $60 has made waves online.
Schwartz Says XRP Could Grow Faster Than Bitcoin
During an X Spaces discussion, Schwartz was asked directly whether he believed XRP could flip Bitcoin to become the world’s largest crypto by market capitalization.
“Yeah, I do,” Schwartz replied.
“But I think it wouldn’t happen from Bitcoin shrinking. It would happen from XRP growing faster than Bitcoin.”
The former Ripple executive described a scenario in which major digital assets all rise as the market grows substantially, while weaker projects may disappear.
He argued that the XRPL could claim a disproportionate share of that expansion because it offers capabilities unavailable on Bitcoin’s base layer.
“The XRP Ledger gets more of that growth because of its higher functionality and/or higher speed, and/or people are interested in features that Bitcoin can’t support,” Schwartz said.
What Price Would XRP Need to Overtake Bitcoin?
At XRP’s current circulating supply of approximately 62.74 billion tokens, matching Bitcoin’s roughly $1.59 trillion market capitalization would require an XRP price of around $25.40.
That calculation assumes Bitcoin’s valuation remains unchanged.
If Bitcoin continued to grow alongside XRP, it would turn the flippening threshold into a moving target.
For example, if Bitcoin’s market capitalization doubled, XRP would need to trade above approximately $50 at today’s circulating supply to overtake it.
$60 XRP Gains Traction
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez has meanwhile outlined a $60 XRP target, based on a large ascending triangle he says has been forming on the token’s monthly chart for nearly a decade.
Martinez identified $3.66 as the critical resistance level, arguing that a monthly close above it would confirm the breakout and activate the $60 technical target.
At the time of reporting, the token is trading at approximately $1.42, meaning it would first need to rise about 158% to reach $3.66.
A move from $1.42 to $60 would amount to an increase of more than 4,100%.
At $60, the token’s market capitalization would be approximately $3.76 trillion.
That would comfortably exceed Bitcoin’s current market cap and would be broadly equivalent to Bitcoin trading near $188,000.
Schwartz Calls Bitcoin a ‘Technological Dead End’
Schwartz’s latest comments follow his recent description of Bitcoin as a “technological dead end” comparable to the dollar.
Responding to a user who asked whether he had considered working on Bitcoin again after co-creating the XRPL, Schwartz said he had not.
“I think Bitcoin is largely a technological dead end for the same reason the dollar is,” he wrote.
He later clarified that he was not arguing Bitcoin must continually add features to succeed.
Schwartz instead said most of Bitcoin’s appeal depends on users trusting that they will continue to be able to hold and transfer it.
According to Schwartz, that basic capability does not require technology unavailable on other public blockchains.
Schwartz Previously Played Down $50–$100
Schwartz’s willingness to entertain an eventual XRP flippening does not mean he expects the token to reach the $60 target outlined by Martinez.
The former Ripple CTO previously cast doubt on the token reaching between $50 and $100.
“While I don’t think it’s likely, I didn’t think it was likely that XRP would ever hit $0.25,” Schwartz wrote.
However, he also acknowledged that his previous expectations had repeatedly underestimated how high crypto prices could climb.
“I started selling XRP at $0.10 because it seemed insane,” he said.
“I remember when Bitcoin hitting $100 seemed like an impossible dream.”
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
