Ripple has a big potential with it's developer and investor, they love to start a bull run periodically then smash it like nothing. If you can catch that "ripple" on it's start you can gain 10x-15x but if you be late you can lose a lot, it is risky but if you look at yearly graph it is about time and today's rise seems like a signal. 
I think Ripple should be bought as a long-term investment. His height is very unpredictable. But I am sure that Ripple can be earned.