Bitcoin News Today: Ether XRP near all-time highs but lag behind Bitcoin in BTC terms

Ether (ETH) and XRP have recently approached all-time highs in U.S. dollar terms, sparking excitement among investors. However, closer examination reveals that these milestones may not carry the same weight when measured against Bitcoin’s performance. Both cryptocurrencies have weakened relative to BTC, raising questions about their long-term potential in a market increasingly dominated by the leading digital asset.

Ether briefly reached $4,788.55 in mid-August 2025, nearly closing in on its previous all-time high of $4,891.70. Despite this near breakthrough, ETH has since pulled back to around $4,300, with further gains hindered by growing outflows from Ether ETFs. On Monday, ETF outflows hit the second-highest level since the products launched last summer, signaling a shift in institutional sentiment. Additionally, the “unstakening” — a phenomenon where ETH holders attempt to exit their holdings — is gathering pace, with nearly 909,788 ETH in an exit queue and wait times continuing to rise [1].

XRP has followed a similar pattern, currently trading near $3, down from a peak of $3.65 in recent weeks. The coin remains just 20 cents shy of its all-time high of $3.83, set in early 2018. While XRP investors remain optimistic, the broader market is shifting toward Bitcoin-centric metrics. Pierre Rochard, CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company, has highlighted that when measured in BTC terms, ETH and XRP have underperformed significantly. ETH’s all-time high in BTC was in 2017 at 0.14 ETH per BTC, and it has since fallen by 76%. XRP, for its part, would be valued at approximately $24.50 if it had appreciated at the same rate as Bitcoin since 2018 [2].

Bitcoin’s performance over the past seven-and-a-half years stands in stark contrast. It has appreciated by 637% since early 2018, far outpacing both ETH and XRP. This has reinforced the view among Bitcoin maximalists that only Bitcoin continues to scale with each market cycle. Rochard’s analysis further underscores the challenge ETH and XRP face: while they may hit new all-time highs in fiat, their relative performance in BTC terms shows a different story [3].

The broader implications of this trend are significant. Institutional investors, such as those managing treasuries for major companies, are increasingly allocating capital to Bitcoin rather than altcoins. This is evident in the growing number of Bitcoin treasury companies compared to those focused on ETH or XRP. The lack of U.S.-listed XRP ETFs and the volatility of ETH ETF inflows also suggest that investors remain cautious about altcoin exposure [4].

While ETH and XRP have seen strong performance over the past year, their ability to maintain these gains depends on their performance relative to Bitcoin. If Bitcoin continues to outpace them in the long term, the significance of their dollar-denominated highs may be called into question. For now, the market remains focused on which asset can sustain momentum — and whether ETH and XRP can finally break through the psychological barriers that have defined their multi-year struggles.

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Source: [1] Why ETH and XRP Hitting All-Time Highs Might Not Be Impressive (https://cryptonews.com/exclusives/why-eth-and-xrp-hitting-all-time-highs-might-not-be-impressive/)

[2] [3] [4] (same as [1])