A $1,000 XRP Purchase in 2013 Would Now Be Worth $346,821

XRP has been a part of the cryptocurrency landscape for over a decade, with its price history offering a unique lens into long-term investment potential in digital assets.

XRP has been a part of the cryptocurrency landscape for over a decade, and its price history offers a unique lens into long-term investment potential in digital assets. Originally launched in June 2012 through the XRP Ledger, the token’s price was not publicly tracked until August 2013, when CoinMarketCap began monitoring the asset.

At that point, XRP was already making a name for itself in the digital currency space. It ranked as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, sitting behind Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC). Notably, Ethereum (ETH), which would later become a dominant player, had not yet entered the market.

What a $1,000 XRP Purchase Looked Like in 2013

In August 2013, XRP was trading at approximately $0.005882. A $1,000 purchase at this price point would have yielded around 170,010 tokens. Fast forward to today, with XRP trading at approximately $2.04, that initial $1,000 would now be valued at roughly $346,821. This marks a return of more than 37,000% over 13 years.

That amount of XRP would place the holder among a very exclusive group of investors. According to data from the XRP Rich List, only about 31,878 wallets—out of roughly 6.37 million—hold at least 100,000 XRP, indicating that this hypothetical early investor would be in the top 0.5% of holders globally.

The token’s price reached its peak in January 2018, when it briefly traded at $3.39. Had the same $1,000 investment been sold during that peak, it would have been worth over $652,800.

Comparing XRP Gains with Bitcoin’s Performance

While XRP’s returns are substantial, they fall short of Bitcoin’s explosive growth over a similar timeframe. In its earliest days, Bitcoin was available for around $0.058 per coin. A $1,000 investment at that time would have bought about 17,193 BTC.

With Bitcoin currently trading around $83,822, that portfolio would now be valued at approximately $1.45 billion—a return exceeding 136 million percent.

This stark contrast underlines the unique growth trajectory Bitcoin has followed compared to other cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, XRP remains a prominent asset in the crypto space, and many long-term holders remain optimistic about its future value.

Speculative Outlook and Community Hopes

Despite the gap in historical performance between XRP and Bitcoin, many XRP investors often base their price predictions on Bitcoin’s projected growth, suggesting that if Bitcoin reaches certain milestones, the asset’s value could also rise proportionally.

Some envision a future where XRP reaches $10,000 per coin. In that scenario, even holders with as few as 100 tokens would become millionaires. While such projections are speculative, they reflect the enduring optimism within the community.

Early investment stories such as these serve as reminders of both the high potential and the inherent risks involved in crypto investing.