Ex-Ripple director Matt Hamilton countered skepticism toward XRP, arguing that MicroStrategy’s crypto portfolio would be worth twice as much today had the company invested in XRP instead of Bitcoin.
Over the weekend, tensions flared between the XRP and Bitcoin communities after Dr. Danish, a surgeon and Bitcoin maximalist, took a jab at XRP. In an X post, he shared a meme featuring a woman giving a disgusted look at the suggestion to invest in XRP.
As expected, XRP community members dismissed the criticism, defending XRP’s long-term potential. They highlight its impressive price performance over the years compared to other assets like Bitcoin.
Since then, Strategy has continued to expand its holdings. It has amassed a total of 640,031 BTC with a total cost of $47.35 billion. At current prices, the company’s Bitcoin trove is valued at around $79.25 billion, representing an ROI of 67.37%.
Despite the remarkable gain, Hamilton noted that Strategy’s portfolio would be worth more than double that amount had the company invested in XRP instead of Bitcoin. This means its holdings could have exceeded $158.5 billion if Saylor had opted for XRP.
The Math Suggests Otherwise
Notably, Hamilton’s estimate relies on the performance of both assets over the past five years, spanning from 2020 to 2025.
Notably, the price of Bitcoin has surged 959% over the past five years, rising from around $11,652 to $123,442 at the time of writing. In comparison, XRP has risen from $0.29 on August 10, 2020, to $2.97, marking a 924% increase during the same period.
These figures indicate that Bitcoin has outperformed XRP over the past five years, suggesting that Strategy’s portfolio would be worth less today had the company invested in XRP instead of Bitcoin.
The projection is based on the current market prices of both assets. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at around $123,442, while XRP is at $2.97. However, comparing the portfolio’s worth using the peak prices of each asset tells a different story.
Value of Strategy’s Crypto Portfolio at Bitcoin and XRP Peak Prices
From its low of $0.29, XRP has surged 1,162% to reach a high of $3.66 in July. In contrast, Bitcoin’s price climbed 978%, rising from $11,652 to an all-time high of approximately $125,700 as of October 5.
This means that, at XRP’s recent peak, Strategy’s crypto portfolio would have been more valuable had the firm invested in XRP instead of Bitcoin.
For context, if Strategy had invested its entire $47.35 billion in Bitcoin at an initial price of $11,652, the portfolio’s value would have reached approximately $510.43 billion at Bitcoin’s peak of $125,700, yielding an ROI of 978%.
However, allocating the same amount to XRP at $0.29—its price in August 2020—would have resulted in a portfolio worth around $597.55 billion at XRP’s recent peak of $3.66, reflecting a slightly higher return.
Nonetheless, pundits like Matt Hamilton maintain that Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings would have been more valuable today had the company chosen XRP instead.
