The ongoing debate involving XRP continues to stir the crypto community, with Chainlink (LINK) emerging as a potential challenger. XRP, long known for its strong institutional presence, now finds itself at the center of a heated comparison as LINK supporters shift their focus. Rather than attempting to overtake XRP in market dominance, some voices in the industry argue that LINK would be better off targeting Cardano (ADA), which sits more closely in terms of market capitalization.

LINK’s Gradual Progress Toward Market Flipping

The XRP versus Chainlink rivalry was recently reignited by an X user going by the handle “Chainlink Revolution.” This individual encouraged investors to convert profits from XRP into LINK before what they claimed would be an inevitable “flippening” event. By sharing a dashboard screenshot, they highlighted that LINK had reached 10% of XRP’s valuation at a trading price of $25.59. This milestone has generated optimism in Chainlink circles.

Enthusiasts believe that both retail and institutional adoption of LINK support the idea that its valuation could eventually catch up to or surpass XRP. However, experts remain skeptical about the likelihood of such a development in the short term.

Chainlink XRP market comparison dashboard highlighting LINK’s progress toward XRP valuation.

Expert Suggests LINK Set Its Sights on Cardano

Pro-XRP lawyer Bill Morgan offered a contrasting viewpoint, suggesting that LINK should aim to surpass Cardano (ADA) rather than XRP. He noted that XRP already enjoys strong institutional backing. For example, Tidal Trust II is seeking approval for XRP ETFs, some of which include leveraged strategies and direct participation in other XRP-based products.

Morgan pointed out the numerical disadvantage LINK faces. While Cardano has a market cap of $31.11 billion and LINK holds $17.32 billion, XRP dwarfs them both with a market cap of $172.5 billion. In comparison, closing the gap with ADA seems significantly more achievable for LINK than attempting to overtake XRP’s valuation.

For those interested in deeper analysis regarding LINK’s trajectory, here’s how high Chainlink must rise to overtake XRP.

Search Trends and DeFi Metrics Influence the Conversation

Another area fueling the LINK vs. XRP debate is search interest and decentralized finance (DeFi) traction. Based on Google Trends data from July 2025, LINK achieved a global peak score of 100, a significant lead over XRP’s score of 11. This metric underscores Chainlink’s increasing visibility and appeal within the broader crypto community.

LINK outperforms XRP in Google search interest according to July 2025 data.

From a DeFi perspective, LINK has reached a total value secured (TVS) of over $93 billion, compared to a modest $85 million for XRP. These figures suggest that while XRP may lead in market cap, LINK has carved a niche for itself in the smart contract and DeFi ecosystems, further deepening its use case.

Still, XRP maintains impressive performance in long-term investment trends. Over the past year, XRP has risen by 386%, substantially outpacing LINK’s 145% growth, despite the latter’s recent momentum.

Competing Visions: Financial Integration and Institutional Adoption

LINK proponents claim that their protocol has evolved into the financial bridge many once associated with XRP. This stems largely from Chainlink’s collaboration with traditional finance networks like SWIFT. Chainlink has recently demonstrated capabilities in cross-chain asset transfers, working with large institutions such as BNY, UBS Asset Management, and others.

Some argue LINK is now better positioned to support traditional financial infrastructure than XRP. Nevertheless, XRP’s integration into the asset management world via ETFs and corporate treasury holdings remains a strong competing narrative.

Related: XRP Price: $12M Max Pain for Bears

Ultimately, both tokens bring different strengths to the table. LINK shines in on-chain utility and interoperability, while XRP maintains dominance through institutional trust and market value.