Ripple coins (XRP) were created in 2012. At the launch, 100 billion XRP were created. Unlike Bitcoins, where the new coins can be mined by miners, in the Ripple ecosystem, new coins are not created. Rather, some amount of XRP is destroyed every time a transaction is made. This is to ensure that no one sabotages the network through a ledger spam. Other than this, the only other usage of XRP is to use it as a native conversion currency for cross border money transfers. In my opinion, the value of Ripple coins will depend on the adoption of Ripple platform by banks. If more and more banks adopt the Ripple protocol, the usage and value of XRP will increase. Since Ripple coins cannot be used for other purposes (like Bitcoins which can be used for purchase of goods or services), the value proposition from a profit perspective as of today is much lower than Bitcoins.