Quick Read
Claude’s base projection turns $5,000 in XRP into ~$9,100 by 2028, outpacing the same Bitcoin investment valued at ~$7,700.
XRP ETFs hold just $1.5 billion versus Bitcoin ETFs’ $104.9 billion, with stagnant XRP inflows dropping its outperformance odds to 45%.
In a bull scenario, $5,000 in XRP could reach $20,800 by 2028, nearly $8,500 more than Bitcoin’s projected $12,300 return.
Just released. Our analysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
According to projections from Claude, Anthropic’s AI model, a $5,000 investment in XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) could be worth more than the same investment in Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) by the close of 2028, though the margin is expected to be tight.
XRP is priced at $1.30, down 12.8% over the past month and 64.4% from its July 2025 peak of $3.65. Bitcoin is valued at $81,050, down 35.7% from its October 2025 high of $126,080.
24/7 Wall St.
In the last 90 days, XRP has gained 22.6%, while Bitcoin has risen 29.0%. However, both cryptocurrencies are still down year-to-date. Based on Claude’s reference prices of $1.32 for XRP and $81,400 for Bitcoin, a $5,000 investment would buy approximately 3,790 XRP or about 0.0614 BTC. Which investment could be worth more by the end of 2028?
What Claude’s 2028 Price Targets Mean for Each $5,000 Investment 
ipopba / iStock via Getty Images
In Claude’s base scenario, XRP is projected to reach $2.40, and Bitcoin is expected to hit $125,000. Under these assumptions, the $5,000 XRP investment could grow to about $9,100, while the Bitcoin investment might grow to about $7,700.
Reaching $2.40 for XRP sounds feasible, since it’s still below its record high of $3.65. In fact, XRP traded at $2.55 just a year earlier, on October 29, 2025. This scenario mostly requires XRP to recover value it already held once. XRP’s market value is around $82.1 billion, making it the fifth-largest cryptocurrency.
——
Free Report, Just Released
The Top 10 Stocks To Buy Now
24/7 Wall St has helped investors make money for over two decades, and our top analysts just finished ranking the definitive Top 10 Stocks To Buy Now. Not the ten biggest companies. Not the ten everyone is arguing about. The ten best stocks to buy right now.
The report is free, and you can see why we think each stock is a top investment today.
Enter Your Email and See the Ten →
——
The $125,000 target for Bitcoin requires a bigger climb, since it implies a return near its all-time high. Claude ties this potential rise to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) absorbing new supply and a general decrease in interest rates. With a market value of about $1.63 trillion, any percentage increase in Bitcoin’s price represents a far larger monetary influx than the same move in XRP.
Story Continues
XRP’s price can swing more dramatically in both directions. Claude expects XRP to fall harder in a downturn because of its smaller ETF base and retail-focused buyer base. Those same traits also give XRP more room to grow, since it starts from a lower point and has a smaller market value.
Catalysts That Could Tip the Balance Between XRP and Bitcoin 
Tobias Arhelger / Shutterstock.com Stagnation in XRP’s ETF Capital Flow
As of October 28, U.S. spot XRP ETFs, which hold physical XRP coins, had $1.5 billion in net assets. Since their inception, net inflows, money added minus money withdrawn, total approximately $1.8 billion. New investments have slowed significantly, though, with no net flows recorded on October 27 and 28 after a $3.6 million outflow on October 26. The largest inflow in the past month was $8.2 million on October 8.
Claude treats these ETF capital flows as a crucial variable that could sway its forecast. If XRP ETF holdings climb to $10 billion or more, the chance that XRP outperforms Bitcoin could rise above 60%. If investor interest stays stagnant instead, that chance could drop to 45%.
Ripple’s Business Growth vs. XRP’s Price
Ripple, the company behind XRP, reports a current revenue run-rate of $900 million, annualized at its current pace. The company also says its dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, has grown to a market value of $2.6 billion, up 88% during Ripple’s reporting period.
Ripple has also gained national trust bank approval from the OCC, the federal regulator for national banks, along with a custody arrangement with BNY. Still, Ripple’s revenue belongs to Ripple, a private company, so growth there helps XRP holders only if it pulls new demand into XRP, and the price hasn’t followed yet.
Consistent Movement in Bitcoin’s ETF Investments
Bitcoin ETFs hold $104.9 billion, a stark contrast to XRP’s $1.5 billion. These funds saw net inflows of $110.3 million, $176.0 million, and $137.3 million over the last three days. The swings run large both ways, as shown by a $528.4 million inflow on October 21 followed shortly after by a $635.5 million outflow.
Which $5,000 Investment Might Be Worth More by 2028?
As things stand, XRP holds a slight advantage, with Claude putting its chance of outperforming Bitcoin at around 55%. That edge relies heavily on demand for XRP’s ETFs, which has recently flatlined. For XRP to realistically reach the $2.40 target, it must hold above its 200-day moving average of $1.28 and break above its September 22 90-day high of $1.57, a path our earlier XRP 2028 coverage has also tracked.
Bitcoin faces its own challenge: it needs to surpass its one-year high of $110,500 before $125,000 looks within reach. Claude also puts a 33% chance on at least one of the two investments ending up worth less than $5,000, with a 28% chance for XRP falling below $1.32 and a 22% chance for Bitcoin dipping below $81,400.
XRP already trades below Claude’s starting point, while Bitcoin trades just under its own $81,400 benchmark. If XRP’s ETF funding keeps stagnating near $1.5 billion, Bitcoin’s steadier outlook could edge ahead. But if XRP closes above $1.57 while its ETF assets climb toward $10 billion, its lead over Bitcoin by 2028 could grow well beyond that narrow edge.
Got $1,000? Read This Before You Buy Another Stock
If you have cash sitting in your account right now, give this two minutes. After more than two decades of helping investors beat the market, our top analysts at 24/7 Wall St. put together a definitive report on the Top 10 Stocks To Buy Today.
They combed the entire market. It’s not 10 ideas, not 10 stocks everyone is talking about, it’s what their research points to as the 10 best stocks to buy right now, and it’s free. Read more here and see which stocks made the list –>>
Contact editorial@247wallst.com for any questions or corrections.