Challenging the Norm: Why Institutions Should Rethink Their Ethereum Preference

Solana vs Ethereum: The 2025 Performance Split

Real-World Blockchain Performance – Verified by Data

At Crane Intelligence Group, we monitor real on-chain performance to separate hype from reality. The YTD 2025 data reveals a dramatic divergence between Ethereum and Solana—one that institutions can no longer ignore.

1. YTD Transaction Volume (Jan–Jul 2025)

• Solana (L1): ≈ 17.8 billion transactions
• Ethereum (L1): ≈ 4.0 billion transactions

Solana is processing over 4× more transactions than Ethereum—without roll-ups or sidechains. It's all native.

2. Throughput & Architectural Advantage

Metric Solana (L1) Ethereum (L1) Average TPS 1,000–2,000+ 15–30 Max TPS (future potential) 600K+ (via Firedancer testnet) Depends on roll-ups/sharding Block Time ≈ 400 ms 12 seconds Finality ≈ 12 seconds ≈ 12–15 minutes (probabilistic) Ethereum's modular design relies heavily on Layer 2s to scale. Solana does it natively—and it shows.

3. Ecosystem Growth & Engagement

• Daily Active Users (7-day avg):
• Solana: ~1.5 million
• Ethereum: ~1.3 million
• DEX Volume (YTD):
• Solana: $180B+
• Ethereum L1: $100B+
• Consumer Energy:
• NFTs, memecoins, and Saga mobile integration continue to drive organic growth on Solana. This isn't vapor—it’s velocity.

4. Fees, Revenue & Efficiency

Metric Solana Ethereum (L1) Avg. Tx Fee ~$0.0003 ~$2.50 Protocol Revenue (YTD) ~$1.1 billion ~$140 million L2 Fee Range (ETH) – ~$0.30–$1.00 per tx Solana delivers unmatched throughput and profitability while maintaining user affordability.

5. Institutional Perspective

Factor Ethereum Solana Custody & Regulatory Adoption Broadly supported ▶ Rapidly growing On-chain Scalability Dependent on L2s Natively scalable Staking/Delegation Framework Mature (Lido, Coinbase) Growing (Jito, Marinade) Uptime (YTD 2025) 100% 100% Institutions traditionally lean toward Ethereum—but Solana’s cost/revenue balance is rewriting the rules.

🔍 Crane's Summary – Mid-Year 2025

• Transactions YTD: Solana 17.8B | Ethereum 4.0B
• Revenue YTD: Solana $1.1B | Ethereum L1 $140M
• Daily Users: Solana ~1.5M | Ethereum ~1.3M
• Avg Fees: Solana $0.0003 | Ethereum L1 $2.50
• Network Uptime: Both at 100% in 2025

The verdict? Solana is no longer just a fast chain—it’s the dominant platform for scale, speed, and adoption.