BNB vs XRP: Here’s How Traders Are Playing These Markets

In brief

• BNB and XRP are currently pulling back, with just a $500 million separating them in market cap.
• Traders on the Myriad prediction market are split, giving BNB a slight edge over XRP at 55%.
• Here’s what the charts say.

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After weeks of trading in parallel, the gap for cryptocurrency’s fourth-largest spot by market capitalization is closing. BNB currently edges out XRP by half a billion dollars. In crypto’s volatile world, that gap could evaporate in hours.

On Myriad, a prediction market built by Decrypt’s parent company Dastan on BNB Chain, traders are essentially calling this one a coin flip at 55% favoring BNB to maintain its ranking through November 2nd, with the odds flipping several times in the last 48 hours.

Bitcoin currently trades at around $107,000, falling a long way since hitting a new all-time high above $125,000 in early October, while traditional markets push to new highs. It’s creating a complex risk environment where altcoins (cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin) are getting squeezed. Right now more than 90% of all the altcoins in the top 100 coins by market cap are in the red zone.

But which one will be more valuable in the near term? This is what the charts say: Below is a chart showing the market capitalizations of BNB and XRP through time. BNB and XRP market caps over time. Image: Tradingview

Overall, both coins are bearish at the moment. The comparative market cap chart shows XRP (blue) testing a descending trendline from above, and while it’s still above key horizontal support, the trajectory is clearly negative. Volume has been decreasing during the decline—often a precursor for either a bounce or capitulation.

On the other hand, BNB (yellow) is also correcting, but the trend is weaker. This is important in shorter timeframes because both FUD and FOMO episodes have more influence than longer timeframes, which offer time for corrections that take prices back into a normal course.

XRP price: Strong bearish momentum in motion

XRP opened today at $2.55 and trades at $2.45, down 4% with a low of $2.42. That’s a sharper decline than BNB’s 3.4% drop—and this relative weakness matters when you’re trying to defend a narrow market cap lead.
XRP price data. Image: Tradingview

The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, for XRP sits at 42.96. RSI measures whether an asset is overbought (above 70) or oversold (below 30). At close to 43, this neutral-to-weak reading suggests traders are a bit nervous about XRP, but not enough to dump their coins without thinking about it twice.

At 36.83, XRP’s Average Directional Index, or ADX, is more difficult to interpret. ADX measures trend strength regardless of direction—and readings above 25 confirm a strong trend is in place. Traders typically interpret ADX above 35 as strong action, but in this case, after a major spike, the readings are on the way down and coming back to normal. Still, it would be hard for traders to ignore the fact that the current direction is negative and the ADX is very high, which is not ideal for bulls.

BNB price: Weak but potentially stabilizing

BNB’s chart tells a different story. It’s basically long-term bullish, short-term bearish. Opening at $1,107.76, the token is currently trading at $1,063, down more than 3% with a low of $1,062. The smaller percentage decline versus XRP is notable, especially given BNB’s recent technical setup. BNB price data. Image: Tradingview

BNB’s RSI sits at 46.17, nearly identical to XRP’s neutral positioning. But the critical difference emerges in the ADX reading: It’s just 17.86, well below the 25 threshold that confirms a real trend exists. Traders view ADX below 20 as “weak action”—the market lacks commitment from major players. It’s like a car engine idling in neutral: There’s some movement, but no power behind it in either direction.

This weak ADX actually works in BNB’s favor for this specific scenario. While XRP is trending down with conviction, BNB is just… drifting. No strong sellers, but no strong buyers either. In a market where both assets are under pressure, the one drifting aimlessly might hold up better than the one with strong bearish momentum.

BNB broke below the $147 billion market cap support level and was able to bounce a bit over that line. The token appears trapped in a compression phase with decreasing volume since the second half of the month.

BNB is testing key support near $1,050 where buyers previously stepped in. If this support holds, BNB could stabilize while XRP continues its stronger downtrend.

BNB vs XRP: The race is closer than you might think

Both altcoins are under pressure, and considering the short timeframe on the Myriad market, the question seems to be: Which will fall less over the next three days?
BNB and XRP market caps over time. Image: Tradingview

The technical evidence suggests XRP’s decline could be sharper, giving BNB an ever so slight edge in the next 72 hours.

That ADX gap—36.83 versus 17.86—is a 19-point difference in trend strength. XRP’s downtrend has conviction behind it, shown by the fact it’s already falling harder (3.65% vs 2.51%). BNB’s weak ADX suggests it might drift sideways, or decline slowly rather than plunge.

As always, unforeseen events, bullish or bearish catalysts, could change the picture dramatically—and quickly. But for now, the charts say what the charts say.
Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.