Most investors aren't looking for cryptoassets to buy so that they can feel the thrill of risk, yet that's exactly what many end up experiencing.

On that note, it's pretty easy to take on more risk than intended, even if you're sticking to mainstream cryptocurrencies like **XRP** and **Cardano**. So if you're trying to decide which form of risk you actually want to own, it's worth taking a look under the hood with these two assets.

![Investors watching a presentation around a table](https://g.foolcdn.com/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F846421%2Finvestors-watch-a-presentation-around-a-table.jpg&w=3840&op=resize)

## XRP is a Fintech Platform Rather Than a Concentrated Bet

The **XRP Ledger (XRPL)** was originally designed by its issuer, Ripple, to make cross-border money transfers cheaper and faster than legacy payment networks such as SWIFT. Ripple's current cross-border solution routes both stablecoins and XRP across the ledger, with ample on and off ramps back into local currencies for banks and fintechs.

At today's market cap of roughly $120 billion, XRP is a large-cap crypto asset with a deep existing holder base. That scale doesn't make it resistant to downturns or even collapses, but it does mean that there's already a substantial amount of capital committed to the network.

Ripple has also spent the past couple of years broadening XRP's economic base to make it a more attractive tool for **financial institutions** to use in their backend workflows. The company launched a U.S. dollar stablecoin in late 2024 and its market cap already exceeds $1 billion, making it one of the larger dollar-pegged coins available.

The stablecoin is being stitched directly into the Ripple Payments service so that institutions can use it for cross-border settlements and treasury operations rather than holding working capital balances at multiple correspondent banks in each jurisdiction where they do business. There's also an ongoing pilot program testing it in a real-world payment processing situation for a major credit card provider.

But XRP still carries a lot of risk. Despite its institutional proclivities, it's exposed to crypto market cycles, potential policy reversals, and the chance that banks decide stablecoin-based systems are more trouble than they are worth. And it's far from the only fintech platform that's vying for a share of the capital that the banks have on hand.

## Cardano is Chasing AI-Native Payments

**Cardano**, in contrast to XRP, is a general-purpose smart contract chain that is not leading in any of today's dominant narratives. Its decentralized finance (DeFi) activity and app ecosystem lag far behind the leading chains, with a modest number of active decentralized applications and a relatively small pool of capital in its protocols.

And, with a market cap of about $15 billion, Cardano is an order of magnitude smaller than XRP, which could imply that it will grow more proportionally—or that it will be more volatile and experience more downside. That smaller base, combined with a slower-growing ecosystem, increases the pressure for a big, new catalyst.

The chain's new integration with the **x402 payment standard** is exactly that kind of swing. If you aren't familiar, x402 is a way for websites to request payment directly in a user's web browser in response to attempting to access specific content or data, all without an account or any signups needed. It is designed to let clients, including artificial intelligence (AI) agents, send highly convenient and instant stablecoin-based payments over the web.

If Cardano's x402 gambit pays off, theoretically it would enable a kind of **AI-native economy** built on continuous micropayments that would be settled using Cardano, which could boost the demand for the coin by quite a bit. More on-chain commerce would mean more fees, demand for ADA coins as a staking and governance asset, and reasons for developers to build Cardano-native services that plug into the x402 flow.

The catch is that almost all of this is speculative. Nothing guarantees that Cardano will be the main place where AI agents choose to pay. The chain also still needs to prove that it can attract and retain enough developers to turn the x402 integration into real applications, not just a roadmap.

So while x402 gives ADA a fresh story and genuine upside, it also concentrates a lot of its forward-looking investment thesis into one emerging standard that may or may not catch on in the way advocates hope.

And, in light of everything else about Cardano, that's what makes it a much riskier coin to buy now. If it manages to gain significant traction, that might change, but for now, it's probably better to avoid buying it, as it's simply too much risk to take on for an uncertain reward.

When you know what you're buying, it's easier to sleep at night.

XRP vs. Cardano: Which High-Risk Crypto Holds More Potential in 2025?

## A Solo Miner's Remarkable Achievement

A solo Bitcoin miner has achieved what many consider nearly impossible in today's competitive mining landscape—winning a full block reward worth approximately **$282,000** (3.13 BTC) on Thursday. This remarkable feat was accomplished with odds of about **1 in 30,000**, according to the administrator of the Solo CKPool service used by the miner.

## The Solo CKPool Advantage

The successful miner, identified only by the pseudonym "1Ng9~VoQz" with 270TH of mining power, utilized **Solo CKPool**—a specialized service designed specifically to help individual miners compete against massive mining pools. When using this service, miners pay a **2% fee** (about 0.062 BTC or $5,734 in this case) upon winning a block, but they avoid the substantial overhead costs associated with running full-scale, expensive Bitcoin mining operations.

## The Growing Challenge of Solo Mining

This victory represents the **fourth solo block win in just three weeks** for Solo CKPool-powered miners, though prior to this recent streak, the last successful solo block dated back to September. To date, Solo CKPool miners have collectively earned **5,553 BTC** through their efforts—a staggering total of approximately **$511 million** at current prices.

However, experts emphasize that **solo mining "is like playing the lottery"** in today's environment. This comparison becomes increasingly apt as Bitcoin's **hashrate continues its relentless upward trajectory**. The network's computational power now averages more than **1 ZH/S** in the last 24 hours, a significant increase from approximately **736 EH/S** on the same day last year.

## The Shifting Economics of Bitcoin Mining

As the economics of Bitcoin mining evolve, some publicly traded mining companies are redirecting their focus toward powering the **artificial intelligence boom**. In November, Bitfarms announced it would wind down its Bitcoin mining operation after sustaining a **$46 million loss**, opting instead to provide computing resources for the burgeoning AI industry.

## Current Market Context

Bitcoin's price remains relatively stable, recently trading at **$90,062** with minimal movement over the past 24 hours. This solo miner's success story emerges against a backdrop where individual miners face increasingly daunting odds, yet still occasionally achieve remarkable victories that capture the imagination of the cryptocurrency community.

A solo Bitcoin miner defied the odds and won a block reward worth around $282,000 with the help of mining service, Solo CKPool.

Against All Odds: Solo Bitcoin Miner Hits $282K Jackpot in 1-in-30,000 Victory

Some of the best growth stocks began as penny stocks, and uncovering small-cap companies can lead to substantial gains. If you're looking to invest just $3 in a promising opportunity, **Hive Digital Technologies** (HIVE) should be on your radar.

It's a crypto miner that has recently shifted focus to AI infrastructure. Investors who feel they missed out on **IREN** and **Cipher Mining** (CIFR) might find a ground-floor entry with this stock.

## Hive Digital Technologies is Expanding Its Mining Capacity

![bitcoin wallet](https://g.foolcdn.com/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F843925%2Fgettyimages-2192542048-1200x675-128554e.jpg&w=3840&op=resize)

Image source: Getty Images

A crypto miner's hash rate is a crucial metric that affects how much **Bitcoin** (BTC) it can mine. A higher hash rate means more revenue and profits.

Hive Digital Technologies achieved an average mining capacity of 5.7 exahash per second (EH/s) in January. The company has built up its operations, reaching an average of 23.5 EH/s, with peaks like 25.4 EH/s in November.

This increase in EH/s allowed Hive Digital Technologies to nearly triple its **Bitcoin** production year-over-year, mining 290 Bitcoins in November. The company is producing significantly more Bitcoin and is well-positioned for a crypto rally, with plans to continue expanding its EH/s in 2026.

## AI Compute Demand is Surging

Currently, Hive Digital Technologies is more of a crypto stock, with crypto making up over 90% of its revenue. This segment quadrupled year-over-year in Q3.

However, the pivot to AI is gaining momentum. Its high-performance computing segment, focused on AI, saw revenue jump by 175% year-over-year in Q3.

Hive Digital Technologies has **Bell Canada Enterprises** (BCE) as an AI infrastructure client. The company's executives are prioritizing AI in 2026 and have a strong balance sheet to support further investments, with $136.7 million in total current assets and only $53.6 million in total current liabilities.

*Marc Guberti has positions in Cipher Mining, Hive Digital Technologies, and Iren. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.*

Hive Digital Technologies may be a steal at current levels

Unlock Millionaire Potential: How This $3 Crypto Stock is Pivoting to AI for Explosive Growth

**MicroStrategy** (MSTR) shares dipped on Thursday ahead of a potentially pivotal moment for the bitcoin-holding company. The Nasdaq is set to announce annual changes to the Nasdaq 100 index, tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) with over $400 billion invested. This reconstitution comes as MSCI considers excluding companies whose primary business is acquiring bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, which could oust MSTR stock from its indices.

The bitcoin price has climbed over the past 24 hours, possibly buoyed by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's dovish signals on Wednesday. MicroStrategy pared deep losses after **Robinhood's** (HOOD) monthly metrics indicated lower crypto trading activity, weighing on the sector.

## MSCI and Nasdaq 100 Criteria
Nasdaq added MicroStrategy to the Nasdaq 100 a year ago, with no indication of reconsideration. However, the Nasdaq 100 excludes financial firms, and MicroStrategy, in arguing for its place in MSCI indices, described operations similar to a financial firm. If Nasdaq reviews MicroStrategy's status, the annual adjustment might be the time to announce it.

In a letter to the MSCI Equity Index Committee, Executive Chairman Michael Saylor and CEO Phong Le argued that MicroStrategy merits inclusion because it isn't just a passive bitcoin accumulator but an operating company selling unique "digital credit instruments," using proceeds to buy bitcoin. They wrote that its business model, capturing the spread between capital cost and asset return, "is comparable to the centuries-old business models of banks and insurance companies."

MSCI said in September it would consult on treating companies funding digital asset purchases. On Oct. 10, it considered a rule excluding companies with at least 50% of assets in digital assets, noting similarities to investment funds. A decision is expected by Jan. 15.

Nasdaq hasn't commented on MSTR's eligibility ahead of the annual reconstitution. JPMorgan raised the possibility that other index operators could follow MSCI if it ousts MicroStrategy.

## MicroStrategy Capitalizes on Passive-Fund Demand
Saylor and Le highlighted JPMorgan research that MicroStrategy could have "up to $2.8 billion of its stock liquidated" if MSCI drops MSTR. JPMorgan estimates about $8.8 billion of MicroStrategy's $50 billion market cap is held by passive index funds tracking Nasdaq 100, MSCI, Russell, and CRSP indexes, including $1.7 billion from Nasdaq 100 funds.

For most companies, issuing common stock shouldn't affect valuation, but for firms like MicroStrategy using shares to buy bitcoin, they can grow market cap, increasing index weight and compelling passive funds to buy more shares. Potentially, there's no limit to MicroStrategy's index weighting if Saylor executes his plan: "We are going to buy all of it," he said this week.

## Bitcoin Price Impact
Without passive fund support, MicroStrategy might hit limits on crypto purchases, especially as it shifts to funding buys primarily with stock instead of high-interest preferred stock. This move comes amid concerns over convertible bond and preferred stock obligations possibly leading to bitcoin sales.

Anything restraining MicroStrategy's bitcoin buying is negative for the price, according to Saylor. At a Middle East bitcoin conference, he said, "bitcoin would probably be trading at $10,000 a coin right now" without MicroStrategy's accumulation.

Saylor and Le note MicroStrategy "has at times traded at multiples higher" than its bitcoin holdings, proving investors value their "financial acumen." However, MicroStrategy has shed most of its premium, with an enterprise value about 114% of bitcoin holdings.

Exclusion from MSCI could further erase the premium. If MSTR stock moves with bitcoin, it might dampen trading volume, making it harder to issue shares for more bitcoin buys. They also see MSCI's 50% threshold as unworkable, as a bitcoin price jump could push companies over it, compelling sales.

## MSCI vs. Trump
MicroStrategy's letter asserts MSCI's proposal "would undermine the federal government's goal of promoting digital assets while stifling innovation, impeding economic development and harming national security." They write that the Trump administration aims to facilitate digital asset investment for pension and 401(k) plans, but MSCI's proposal would deny access, moving billions away and undermining key goals.

## MSTR Stock and Bitcoin Price
Bitcoin briefly joined a gold and silver rally on Wednesday, topping $94,000 on Powell's dovish comments, but couldn't hold gains, possibly pulling back with Robinhood. After trading around $90,000 on Thursday, bitcoin bounced to $92,370 by early Friday.

MSTR stock dived 6% Thursday morning but finished 0.7% lower at 183.30. MicroStrategy is down 60% from its 52-week high and 55% since joining the Nasdaq 100. Robinhood and **Coinbase** (COIN), not in the Nasdaq 100 as financial firms, fell 9% and 2.2%, respectively.

The bitcoin price would be at $10,000 without buying by Strategy, CEO Michael Saylor says. Today's Nasdaq 100 update could slow those purchases.

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