Down 30% or More for the Year, Are Any of These Top Cryptocurrencies Worth Buying Right Now?

XRP, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu are down roughly 30%, 34% and 31%, respectively, this year, despite a recent recovery in crypto markets. The author sees XRP—market cap about $82.4 billion—as worth only a small speculative position, citing its network and possible use in payments, while recommending against buying Dogecoin (about $13.5 billion market cap) or Shiba Inu (just under $3 billion).

Analysis

The investable distinction is value capture, not token survival. Ripple or RLUSD adoption could expand payment activity without creating durable demand for XRP: stablecoin settlement may compete with XRP as a bridge asset, and throughput alone does not establish fee capture or token scarcity. Treat XRP as a speculative, sentiment-sensitive asset until usage data links institutional flows to XRP demand. DOGE and SHIB have weaker fundamental anchors; viral attention can support sharp rallies, but it is not a reliable basis for underwriting value, particularly as meme-token competition fragments liquidity.

Near term (days), improving crypto sentiment can lift all three through beta and positioning, so a fundamental ranking may not protect against broad drawdowns. Over 1–3 months, watch verifiable network activity, XRP-related liquidity/settlement data, and regulatory developments; over 6–18 months, the key test is whether payment adoption accrues to XRP rather than to stablecoins or other rails. The reported BBVA relationship is not evidence of material consolidated revenue or XRP demand: verify the product scope and commercial status before drawing a BBVA conclusion. No equity trade in BBVA is warranted on this article alone. The contrarian risk is that XRP’s apparent utility is overstated while meme assets’ reflexive demand is underestimated during a risk-on surge. Falsify the cautious XRP thesis with sustained, independently verifiable XRP usage and demand tied to payment flows; continued activity without token value capture reinforces it.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Do not trade BBVA on this item: require confirmation of the relationship’s scope, commercial launch, and any material financial contribution before revisiting.
• If taking crypto exposure, prefer a small, explicitly speculative XRP position over DOGE or SHIB, and scale only after verifying that payment activity translates into sustained XRP demand. Keep sizing modest given high volatility and uncertain value capture.
• Avoid initiating DOGE or SHIB positions on the drawdown alone. Their near-term upside is sentiment-driven, while token-specific catalysts and durable demand are not established here.
• For a 1–3 month review, monitor XRP-linked on-chain activity and liquidity, stablecoin/payment adoption, and regulatory milestones. Reduce or exit the speculative XRP thesis if usage rises without evidence of token demand, or if adverse regulatory developments impair access or liquidity.