Despite XRP’s 10x Market Lead, LINK Emerges as the True Banking Champion, Analyst Claims

Forget everything you thought you knew about banking coins—the real battle isn't about market cap dominance.

XRP might be leading by a factor of ten in sheer size, but analysts are pointing to Chainlink's LINK as the actual infrastructure backbone for traditional finance. While Ripple's token dominates headlines with its regulatory wins and bank partnerships, LINK quietly powers the oracle networks that make decentralized banking possible.

Smart contracts need real-world data—and LINK delivers where others can't. It's not about moving money faster; it's about making blockchain actually usable for institutions. XRP moves value, but LINK moves information—and in modern finance, data flows matter more than dollar flows.

Sure, legacy banks love talking about blockchain innovation—right before they go back to charging $35 overdraft fees. But behind the scenes, they're betting on the tech that actually works, not just the one with the biggest marketing budget.

Analyst Claims Chainlink Is Banking Coin

According to Quinten, a top analyst and host at Coin Compass, Chainlink is better suited to work with banks than XRP.

Quinten also admitted that XRP is 10 times larger than Chainlink, a gap he says could narrow if LINK wins more institutional deals.

Based on tracker figures, XRP currently trades around $3 with a market cap of a little over $178 billion, while Chainlink trades NEAR $24 and sits at over $16 billion.

XRP’s Role In Payments

XRP’s case has long been tied to cross-border payments. Ripple’s tools let big banks MOVE money on-chain in ways that aim to cut costs and speed up settlement.

$XRP is 10 times bigger than $LINK

Meanwhile Chainlink is the real banking coin

$250 $LINK is the base case

— Quinten | 048.eth (@QuintenFrancois) August 27, 2025

Some supporters say XRP could become central as traditional firms move toward blockchain settlement and even challenge systems like SWIFT. That view helps explain why XRP has a much bigger market value today.

Reports have disclosed that Chainlink has links with several major institutions. Advocates point to connections with SWIFT and partnerships with Mastercard, the DTCC, and some central banks.

Those ties are used to strengthen the contention that Chainlink can plug into the financial system in ways that go beyond payments, such as providing data, price feeds, and settlement information that banks need.

Quinten put a base target on LINK of $250, arguing that a move like that WOULD make Chainlink more comparable to XRP’s value.

He based that view on what he sees as stronger institutional fit. Other commentators agree. Rekt Fencer, for example, predicted a price band of $250 to $400 for Chainlink by the end of Q4 2025.

My Q4 2025 targets:$BTC: $215K – $230K$ETH: $9K – $12K$BNB: $2.8K – $3.3K$SOL: $800 – $900$XRP: $8.5 – $9$DOGE: $1 – $2.5$LINK: $250 – $400$ENA: $2 – $3$PENGU: $0.7 – $1#FARTCOIN: $4.5 – $6.5

If this looks crazy to you,

You’re a fool

— Rekt Fencer (@rektfencer) August 19, 2025

At the same time, Rekt Fencer projects XRP could reach between $8.50 and $9 in the same period. These are bold calls. They rest on adoption and partnership wins that have not yet been locked in.

Reactions in online forums were split. Some users say Quinten is just talking up XRP to get attention. Others took a calmer view, saying both chains could have their moments.

Meanwhile, Chainlink is showing signs of steady strength, with forecasts pointing to a 7.53% rise that could lift the token to $26.12 by September 28, 2025, data from Coincodex show.

Technical indicators lean bullish, though the Fear & Greed Index sits at a neutral 50, suggesting balanced sentiment. LINK has logged 16 green days out of the past 30, with volatility at 16.19%, signaling active but sometimes sharp price swings.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView