From 24/7 Wall St. · Sam Daodu · · 1m 20s
XRP vs Cardano: Smarter Buy After 30% Surge
Cardano's 30% surge sparks debate over XRP's edge in AI payments.
In brief
Cardano's 30% surge sparks debate over XRP's edge in AI payments. XRP outperforms Cardano in AI payments, 2026 losses, and U.S. funds despite Cardano's short squeeze. Originally reported by 24/7 Wall St..
Cardano's 30% Weekly Gain
Cardano rose 29.9% in the week ending september 23, 2026, jumping from $0.20 to $0.25.
“Cardano ( CRYPTO:ADA ) rose 29.9% in the week ending September 23, 2026, jumping from $0.20 to $0.25”
XRP's 22% Weekly Rise
XRP rose 22% to $1.58 while both cryptocurrencies remain in the red for 2026.
“XRP ( CRYPTO:XRP ) rose 22% to $1.58”
Cardano's AI Payment Test
Cardano joined x402, an open standard for ai payments with a simple web request.
“Cardano has joined x402, an open standard that lets software and ai agents make payments for online services with a simple web request”
Cardano's Short Squeeze
Cardano's price surge was fueled by a short squeeze as traders bought back positions.
“Cardano’s price surge was also fueled by a short squeeze . Many traders who had bet against ADA were forced to buy back their positions as the price rose”
XRP's AI Transactions
XRP has processed over 1.4 million ai-agent transactions surpassing the 1 million milestone.
“the ledger has completed over 1.4 million ai-agent transactions, surpassing the 1 million milestone by july”
XRP's 2026 Losses
XRP lost 13.9% in 2026 while Cardano dropped 23.5% in the same period.
“So far in 2026, XRP has lost 13.9%, while Cardano has dropped 23.5%”
U.S. Funds Hold XRP
U.S. funds hold $1.4 billion of XRP through spot xrp etfs since their november 2025 launch.
“U.S. funds hold about $1.4 billion of XRP”
XRP's Short Squeeze
XRP saw $300 million in short positions liquidated during a one-hour event on september 21.
“exchanges liquidated around $300 million worth of short positions across the market in just one hour on september 21”
Cardano's Mainnet Challenge
Cardano needs to deploy x402 payments on mainnet before year-end to sustain its rally.
“For Cardano to sustain its rally, it will need to successfully deploy its payment system on the mainnet soon”
XRP's Price Threshold
XRP could weaken if it falls below $1.30, narrowing its lead over Cardano.
“If XRP falls below $1.30, its starting point for the week, it could narrow its lead and weaken its investment proposition”
Here's the gist
XRP outperforms Cardano in AI payments, 2026 losses, and U.S. funds despite Cardano's short squeeze.
