Most people who bought XRP years ago are still waiting to break even. That's a painful reality that stands out even more now that bitcoin and ether have left their old highs in the dust.
XRP is one of the oldest and most recognized crypto tokens out there, backed by the company Ripple. But as of October 2026, XRP is still trading below the peak it hit back in 2017. That means anyone who bought near that old high has been holding a loss for nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, bitcoin and ether have both blown past their previous cycle highs and kept climbing, making serious gains for their long-term holders. XRP simply has not done the same. It keeps getting left behind while other major tokens move forward.
If you hold XRP, this is a hard truth to sit with. Staying loyal to a token does not always pay off, and XRP is a clear example of that. While your friends holding bitcoin may have seen real profits, XRP holders have mostly been treading water or losing ground.
For anyone still thinking about buying XRP, this pattern is worth understanding. Past performance does not promise future results, but a token that cannot recover its old highs after nine years is sending a signal worth taking seriously.
Keep an eye on whether XRP can break and hold above its 2017 cycle high. If it cannot do that during a period when the broader crypto market is doing well, analysts think that tells you something important about where demand for XRP actually stands.
XRP has faced years of legal battles with regulators and questions about its use case compared to bitcoin and ether. That uncertainty has kept many big investors on the sidelines.
Nobody can say for certain, and this is not financial advice. But its history of failing to recover old highs is something any potential buyer should look at carefully before deciding.
Analysts think it is possible but not guaranteed, especially if the broader market slows down. XRP would need strong new reasons for investors to choose it over better-performing tokens.
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