Monero (XMR) Emerges as the Top-Performing Major Cryptocurrency in 2025

Monero (XMR) has emerged as the top-performing major cryptocurrency in 2025, outshining nearly every other top 35 asset.

Monero (XMR) has emerged as the top-performing major cryptocurrency in 2025, outshining nearly every other top 35 asset and leaving even Bitcoin behind. As of late April, XMR boasts an impressive 18.3% year-to-date (YTD) gain.

In stark contrast, Ripple’s XRP token has managed only a modest 5.22% YTD increase, despite multiple bullish catalysts that should have triggered stronger price momentum.

While Bitcoin and Ethereum have stabilized near their highs, their YTD returns remain relatively muted compared to Monero’s quiet but decisive rally. Even XRP, which recently benefited from the final settlement of its years-long SEC lawsuit and secured major exchange listings for futures contracts on platforms like CME and Coinbase, has failed to deliver significant gains.

XRP’s lukewarm price action suggests that despite the positive developments and improving broader crypto sentiment, skepticism or market fatigue might be persisting.

However, Monero has quietly achieved some of the strongest performance among major cryptocurrencies this year. A key catalyst was its integration with Alchemy Pay in April 2025, which made XMR easily purchasable using fiat currencies.

This streamlined access lowered the barriers for retail and privacy-focused users alike, fuelling steady buying interest.

Further strengthening its position, Monero expanded its global footprint through partnerships like Edge Wallet’s full XMR support and Blockstream’s integration for the Liquid Network. Merchant adoption has also accelerated, making XMR more practical for everyday transactions.

Beyond integrations, Monero’s focus on privacy, powered by Ring Signatures, Stealth Addresses, and RingCT, has reinforced its appeal when financial surveillance fears are rising.

Combined with steady growth in hashrate, node activity, and decentralized exchange usage, Monero’s fundamentals have stayed resilient. The growing ecosystem, coupled with strategic partnerships, has enabled XMR to capture upside momentum that XRP, despite regulatory wins, has yet to achieve.

The XMR USD pair has formed a textbook bull pennant pattern—typically a continuation formation that appears after a sharp upward move. In this case, the strong rally from under $150 to over $230 earlier in 2025 formed the pole, followed by a period of narrowing consolidation that defines the pennant itself.

Converging trendlines that slope slightly downward or move horizontally characterize the pattern, indicating temporary indecision after a strong advance. Crucially, the pattern forms as volume declines during the consolidation phase, which supports the idea of a pending breakout. Though this chart lacks volume data, the clean technical structure remains valid.

The theoretical price target is calculated by measuring the height of the flagpole—the vertical distance from the pattern’s base to the start of consolidation. This yields a projected breakout move. Adding that to the breakout point results in a projected price target for the pattern. For XMR price, the theoretical price target is near $370, marking a spike of 62% from current levels.

If XMR breaks above the upper trendline with volume confirmation, the bullish pennant setup could play out swiftly. A successful breakout would likely attract technical traders and reinforce Monero’s position as the top-performing major privacy coin in 2025.

Moreover, XMR price has often mirrored Bitcoin rallies. Given that Bitcoin is likely to attracting institutional interest through ETFs, a rally would in BTC prices would likely buoy Monero too.