XRP, the cryptocurrency associated with Ripple, continues to lag behind Bitcoin in a trend that has persisted for nine consecutive months. Despite recent legal successes for Ripple against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), XRP’s performance against Bitcoin remains dismal.

Declining Performance

Ripple, based in San Francisco, achieved a partial victory against the SEC in July, leading to a brief surge in XRP’s value. However, since then, XRP has seen a 72% decline against Bitcoin. This decline is particularly stark when compared to its all-time high against Bitcoin in May 2017, where it has plummeted by a staggering 97%.

Regulatory Clarity vs. Legal Uncertainty

The legal victory in July provided a glimmer of hope for XRP investors, with a U.S. District Court ruling that secondary sales of XRP did not constitute securities offerings. Yet, this optimism was short-lived, as XRP failed to sustain its price rally.

Impact on Investors

Despite Ripple’s claims of regulatory clarity for XRP in the U.S., uncertainties linger. While XRP is touted as the only cryptocurrency besides Bitcoin with such clarity, Ripple still faces legal challenges. A ruling last year found Ripple guilty of violating securities offering laws with its institutional XRP sales. The SEC has demanded a hefty fine of $2 billion, though Ripple contests this, seeking a significantly lower penalty.

The outcome of these legal battles remains uncertain, and their impact on XRP’s price is yet to be fully realized. Despite hopes for regulatory clarity boosting XRP’s value, the cryptocurrency continues to struggle against Bitcoin. Whether upcoming developments in the Ripple case will alter this trajectory remains to be seen.