Just looking at the numbers from when Trump got inaugurated back in January 2025, and honestly it's pretty rough. Bitcoin was sitting pretty above $101K then, but now we're down to around $77.67K. That's a solid 23% drop from inauguration day. Ethereum took it even worse, falling from $3,208 to $2.32K. And XRP? Down from $2.95 to $1.43 - nearly half its value.

So if you'd thrown $10K at Bitcoin on inauguration day, you'd be looking at roughly $6,600 today. Same $10K in Ethereum would only be worth about $6,200 now. XRP holders got hit the hardest - that $10K would've turned into just $4,710. Wild to think about when you're deciding whether you should buy bitcoin or ethereum right now.

But here's where it gets interesting. Some analysts reckon this shakeout might actually be setting things up for something bigger. There's talk of XRP potentially hitting $5-$10 range if regulatory clarity comes through - that would be like a 7x rebound from here. Bitcoin bulls are still pushing the million-dollar narrative, and even at current levels around $77.67K, some see it as a generational entry point.

The real question isn't just whether you should buy bitcoin or ethereum today - it's about your conviction on the recovery cycle. These dips have happened before in crypto, and historically they've been followed by sharp rallies. But yeah, timing and risk tolerance are everything here.