RE: Ethereum vs Ripple for 2nd place? 2018 will be interesting
Anything can happen in the short term, but I have doubts about these two coins over the long term.
In the case of Ripple, it has done great in recent weeks, but I don't trust it at all. It's too centralized, too many coins were pre-mined and handed to the insiders and there are way too many coins outstanding overall. I think the valuation has gotten ahead of itself.
Ethereum is a bedrock coin, a core holding for many, and I respect the development team. However, it currently does not have the ability to handle an enterprise level application. Recently, the Cryptokitties application by itself was able to slow the network down. I know improvements are being made to increase the network's speed, but the jury is still out. If it takes a few years to do that, there is is real risk Ethereum might be left behind because of how quickly things move in this space. $EOS is a coin to keep your eye on.