With interest in cryptocurrencies on the rise, many prospective investors are returning their attentions to Ripple Labs – the company best-known for strongly promoting the XRP cryptocurrency token and funding their bank-friendly technology with the billions of dollars it has reaped for them.
Meanwhile, cat-owners and internet users are returning their attentions to another valuable asset: the Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat , which regularly goes viral in the feline-friendly corners of social media.
At first glance it may be hard to distinguish these two similar-sounding assets. But on close inspection, we find a couple of key distinguishing features:
XRP was created in 2012 by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb and others, as an energy-friendly alternative to Bitcoin. The currency was then known as “ripples,” and in its new guise it is currently the third largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
The Ripple Rug is a square of carpet with holes in it. It was designed Fred and Natasha Ruckel as an entertainment for Yoda, an American shorthair tabby. The Ruckels successfully marketed their idea which NPR recently described as “Disneyland for cats.”
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Despite the similar names, these are two very different assets: so it’s worth making a side-by-side comparison to determine which offers the most favorable returns.
Utility as Money:
XRP is a digital asset which can be exchanged quickly between parties anywhere in the world. It is currently in use by a couple dozen or so financial institutions on the xRapid network, including MoneyGram, as well as by Coil, an online platform for XRP micropayments.
The Ripple Rug fulfills few, if any, of the properties of money – although, like the U.S. dollar, it can be expected to depreciate in value over the years. Maybe not as fast as XRP, though.
Which one loses value faster?
Verdict: Point goes to Ripple Labs.
Corporate Backing:
At first glance this would seem like another easy win: XRP is the product of a multi-billion-dollar Fintech firm that gets Bill Clinton to speak at their events.
SnugglyCat, the company behind the Ripple Rug, is a married couple with a cat.
But there are big differences in how much commitment they’ve shown to their products. SnugglyCat stands by the quality of their rug, and will happily accept returns with a 5% restocking fee.
Meanwhile Ripple Labs have done everything they can to distance themselves from XRP, to the point of asking journalists to stop using its old name.
As the company has consistently reminded its followers, it regards XRP as an independent asset – even as Ripple Labs make hundreds of millions of dollars by selling the tokens.
Verdict: Let’s call this one a tie.
Via Giphy.
Accessibility:
XRP is comparatively difficult to purchase. Most people buy it on an exchange, which usually means you have to buy Bitcoin first. You may also have to prove your identity before being allowed to own it.
The Ripple Rug is available on Amazon, eBay or the SnugglyCat website. Unlike cryptocurrencies you can use PayPal or credit cards, and the only anti-laundering measures should be taken by your cat, if she knows where the litter box is.
Verdict: Easy point for Ripple Rug.
Via Giphy
Storage Requirements
Like other digital assets, XRP ownership consists of control over a string of cryptographic private keys. These can be safely stored on a hardware wallet, and or on a mobile device using a software wallet.
But unlike other cryptocurrencies, XRP has one big difference. Each XRP address must have a minimum balance of 20 XRP, and there’s no getting that back when you cash out. In 2018, when prices approached $4, that meant it cost nearly eighty dollars to open a new wallet address.
The Ripple Rug folds easily for convenient storage, such as when you have company. Point for Ripple Rug.
Via Giphy
Store of Value:
XRP has been a notoriously poor store of value this year, losing about 50% of its value from this year’s high.
You would have done much better storing your value in the Ripple Rug, which regularly resells for around 75% of retail price in good condition.
Verdict: Another point for Ripple Rug.
Via Giphy
Entertainment Value:
This one’s quite close. the Ripple Rug can provide hours of frenzied action from your feline friends. It can also be easily reconfigured, providing a different playground every day.
But there’s also plenty of entertainment value in XRP. Brad Garlinghouse has performed circus-quality somersaults to jump XRP through the Howey hoops, and XRP price action enjoys more ups and downs that Six Flags’ best roller-coasters.
Not to mention the spectacle of lawsuits and petitions from XRP owners who ‘mistakenly’ saw their tokens as an investment.
Verdict: While there’s plenty of entertainment in having an XRP-invested roommate, you might stop laughing when the rent is due. Ripple Rug scores the point.
Via Giphy
Winner: Ripple Rug Wipes The Floor With Ripple Labs
Based on the results of this completely-unscientific (but hopefully entertaining) inquiry, it looks the facts are rather tilted towards one of the Ripple assets.
That said, we’re not financial advisors and we can’t tell you if XRP will be a good investment in the long run. We can’t even tell you which banks are actually using it, as opposed to simply ‘trialing’ it – Ripple Labs are SUPER cagey about that information.
But we are cat owners: and while one of these investments appears to be a dog, the other one seems purrfect.
Here’s another view of the rug in action:
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