If you're talking about someone that has a bitcoin wallet and just wants 0.25 BTC then the comparison you should make is with transferring some amount of XRP which is ... sign a transaction.

But you mention $25. And since you like to ask for rhetorical explanations: Explain to me how you would send $25 to a friend using bitcoin. Not $25 "worth" of bitcoin but $25. If at any point an exchange is involved then you're using IOUs at the exchange.