XRP Rivals Shine as Cardano Founder Highlights Stellar and Hedera

XRP is once again in the spotlight as blockchain competitors like Stellar (XLM) and Hedera (HBAR) experience remarkable momentum, drawing attention from industry leaders. Most notably, Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, publicly acknowledged these platforms’ recent achievements, sending ripples through the crypto community.

In the consistently evolving world of blockchain projects, XRP remains a central figure, particularly in discussions about institutional payments. Yet, the latest activity from its competitors, Stellar and Hedera, has captured investor attention and market sentiment. Hoskinson praised both networks, remarking on their resilience and development progress, a gesture that holds weight coming from a direct industry peer.

The endorsement came at an opportune moment, as both Stellar and Hedera had just broken through major resistance levels. Stellar, which has historically lagged behind XRP, saw a surge of nearly 80% from early July lows. It not only reclaimed essential levels on its USD chart but also outperformed XRP when comparing their pair performance, a sign that traders might be re-evaluating long-held assumptions.

Stellar’s price action against XRP, especially the uptick on the XLM/XRP pair, signaled a technical pivot. Months of market underperformance reversed swiftly, implying that momentum is now favoring Stellar. This movement doesn’t just reflect price shifts but perhaps a deeper market recalibration regarding which networks investors believe offer tangible, future-ready solutions.

On a similar trajectory, Hedera (HBAR) made headlines with a sharp gain from below $0.16 to above $0.25, effectively escaping a prolonged consolidation phase. A notable rise in HBAR’s comparative strength against XRP mirrors XLM’s trend, suggesting a broader reconfiguration within the blockchain payments arena. Analysts are viewing this shift not simply as speculative but indicative of emerging utility-driven adoption.

Hoskinson’s remarks highlight growing recognition for platforms consistently building, even amidst bearish stretches in the market. “Congrats to Stellar and HBAR, they have weathered the storms of the past few years and are growing well,” he wrote in a tweet, underscoring his respect for their tenacity and innovation.

While optimism around an expected XRP ETF announcement may influence current price movements, the broader take is that fundamental development appears to be playing an increasingly critical role in market valuation. Both Stellar and Hedera have secured partnerships and pushed technological upgrades, positioning themselves as credible alternatives in the global payment system domain.

Hedera, in particular, is gaining traction through its work on verifiable computing and tokenized real-world asset (RWA) structures. These developments suggest that HBAR might not only maintain momentum but also rival top-tier assets in terms of utility-driven appeal and market cap positioning.

As competition intensifies, XRP faces increasing pressure to innovate and deliver tangible outcomes, especially with rivals ascending in both utility and visibility. The landscape of blockchain payments is shifting—once considered a Ripple stronghold, it may now be more open than ever before to competitive disruption from similarly specialized networks.

For now, Stellar and Hedera enjoy their moment of market prominence, having demonstrated not only growth but also the potential to challenge XRP’s dominance in the next era of digital finance.

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

The next few weeks will be pivotal. Whether XRP can reclaim focus amidst growing competition will depend not just on speculative catalysts like ETF launches but also on its ability to showcase continued utility and enterprise adoption. As it stands, once-overlooked players are gaining deserved recognition—even from their better-known rivals.