Education
What is the Difference Between Bitcoin and Ripple?
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are important points of discussion in the market today. There are many cryptocurrencies available at the disposal of people, but the most popular amongst them is Bitcoin. Ripple is another option that is gaining popularity amongst investors. So what exactly is the difference between Bitcoin and Ripple, and how do they work? Let’s read on!
Bitcoin:
Bitcoin is a type of digital cryptocurrency that is based on blockchain technology. It operates on a distributed ledger and is currently being used as a means for payment of goods and services. The history of bitcoin is quite mysterious as it was developed in 2009 by a person or a group of people under the pseudonym ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’. The system is completely decentralised and is not governed by any government, bank or any third party.
Under bitcoin, miners can create a ledger of every activity by verifying transactions on an ongoing basis. Upon validating a certain amount of transactions, the miners are rewarded with BTC. Bitcoin uses the blockchain mining concept to validate transactions.
Ripple:
Ripple is a payment settlement, currency exchange or remittance system that helps facilitate transactions across borders at lightning speed and at low costs. It is a privately owned company that started in 2012 to develop its own cryptocurrency known as XRP.
XRP is used primarily on the Ripple network to facilitate the transfer of money between different currencies. Ripple’s simple idea is to provide a system for direct transfer of assets without incurring any currency exchange fees and reducing transfer speed to seconds.
Both Bitcoin and Ripple have their native coins, which can be purchased online at some of the best crypto app in India.
Differences Between Bitcoin and Ripple:
Supply:
Bitcoin has a maximum supply of 21 million coins, out of which more than 18 million is already circulating in the market. It is expected that the entire bitcoins should be minted by the year 2140. On the other hand, Ripple has the maximum supply of 100 billion XRP coins, out of which 60 billion is currently circulating in the market.
Transaction Speed:
Bitcoin blockchain takes approximately 10 minutes for any transaction to get confirmed while sending funds to another person. Whereas you can transfer funds to someone using XRP coins on the Ripple network within seconds.
Uses:
Bitcoin does not entail any third party involvement as there is no authority to regulate its demand and supply. Bitcoin can be used for varied purposes, from paying for a hotel bill to booking a flight ticket online.
However, Ripple acts as an alternative to the current payment settlement system called SWIFT that banks and other financial intermediaries are using. It is a much faster, cost-effective and hassle-free way to transfer funds across countries or borders.
Number of Transactions:
Every system can handle a certain number of transactions in a given amount of time before it starts to feel overloaded.
Bitcoin can process only up to 7 transactions per second.
On the other hand, Ripple can handle up to as many as 1500 transactions per second, making it more scalable than bitcoin.
Energy Use:
Since bitcoin uses a mining system to mint coins, it is accused of being an energy-hungry platform.
Whereas Ripple consumes negligible power due to its energy-free mechanism.
Popularity:
Bitcoin is the first and the most popular cryptocurrency in the world. It is also the largest crypto in terms of market capitalization and owns nearly 70% of the total crypto market.
Ripple is the 4th largest cryptocurrency by volume and has a circulating supply of 4,540 crore XRP’s in the market.
How to Buy Bitcoin and Ripple:
Bitcoin can be bought off from any of the cryptocurrency exchanges such as CoinSwitch Kuber and stored in a wallet. There are different kinds of wallets available with the owners, which provide different storage, security and access options. These are mobile, desktop, online, hardware and paper.
Ripple can also be bought from any of the different exchanges such as Bitstamp, Kraken, GateHub etc.
Conclusion:
Both Bitcoin and Ripple are cryptocurrencies that can be used to buy goods and services across different categories. Although, there are only a limited number of companies that will accept them for payment.
Ripple’s price is constantly evolving and is currently looking to be more substantial than the dollar or bitcoin. As I write, the ripple to inr price stands at Rs.78.46 and inr to btc price stands at Rs.47 lakhs.
Education
Aakash names Alka Garg as CFO, Kanika Nijhawan as SVP marketing
Leadership hires signal sharper growth focus and stronger governance push
MUMBAI: India’s leading test prep powerhouse, Aakash Educational Services Limited, has strengthened its leadership bench with two strategic appointments aimed at fuelling its next phase of growth.
Alka Garg has joined as chief financial officer, while Kanika Kumar Nijhawan steps in as senior vice president – marketing. Together, the duo brings nearly four decades of combined experience across finance, branding and high-growth businesses.
Garg arrives with more than 22 years of strategic and operational expertise, having partnered with founders, CEOs and executive teams to build enterprise value and scale sustainably. At AESL, she will steer the finance function, shape long-term financial strategy, enhance efficiencies and reinforce governance frameworks as the company sharpens its growth ambitions.
Prior to this role, Garg served as chief financial officer at Yum Restaurant India, where she played a key role in strengthening financial strategy for the KFC brand and driving business performance. Her career spans leadership stints at Siemens, GreyOrange, Bharti Airtel and Deloitte, giving her a rare blend of corporate discipline and entrepreneurial agility.
On the marketing front, Nijhawan brings over 17 years of experience across media, retail and sport. Known for her expertise in brand building, digital performance marketing and omnichannel engagement, she most recently spent a decade at Adidas India as director of brand marketing.
Her earlier career includes roles at HT Media and Sony Entertainment, equipping her with a strong understanding of storytelling, audience engagement and consumer insight, skills that align neatly with AESL’s student-first focus.
With these appointments, AESL is signalling more than routine leadership changes. It is doubling down on professionalised management, operational excellence and disciplined expansion. As competition intensifies in India’s test preparation landscape, the company appears intent on pairing academic strength with sharper financial rigour and stronger brand resonance.
For students and parents navigating the high-stakes world of engineering and medical entrance exams, that could translate into a more streamlined, responsive and future-ready learning ecosystem.
