Solana (SOL) Beats Ethereum for First Time in History, But There’s a Catch

As a seasoned crypto investor with a deep understanding of blockchain networks and their underlying economics, I find the recent news of Solana surpassing Ethereum in Total Economic Value (TEV) for a single day intriguing but also fraught with nuances. While it’s true that Solana generated more TEV on May 12 than Ethereum, we must remember that Ethereum’s Layer 2 (L2) solutions like Optimistic Rollups and Plasma have shifted some of its activity to these secondary layers. These L2s enhance scalability and reduce fees, making Ethereum a more attractive choice for developers and users.


On May 12th, Solana surpassed Ethereum in generating Total Economic Value (TEV) for a day, marking a first in the cryptocurrency’s history. However, it’s important to note that such occurrences don’t necessarily indicate long-term dominance.

Breaking down the data

Based on Blockworks Research’s findings, Solana’s Total Transactional Value (TVT) reached an impressive $2,248,681 on May 12, outpacing Ethereum’s TVT of $1,977,416. TVT represents the sum of transaction fees and miner/extractor value (MEV), providing valuable insights into a blockchain network’s utility and adoption.

On May 12 for the very first time, Solana surpassed Ethereum in generating total economic value in a singular day.

— Dan Smith (@smyyguy) May 14, 2024

Chris Burniske, a former analyst at Ark Invest, offered his perspective on the situation, emphasizing the importance of monitoring L1s with consistent yearly growth in terms of Total Evaluated Value (TEV). A larger TEV signifies increased usage and demand, potentially enabling more economic policy flexibility within the network.

There’s a problem

From an analytical perspective, the comparison between Solana’s total value locked (TVL) and Ethereum’s without considering layer-2 (L2) solutions can be misleading. L2 solutions are essential additions to Ethereum that improve scalability and reduce transaction fees by offloading some activity from the main Ethereum blockchain (L1). These L2 solutions, such as Polygon (previously Matic Network), Optimism, and Arbitrum, remain integral parts of the Ethereum ecosystem. Therefore, it is only fair to include their TVL when making a comprehensive comparison between Solana and Ethereum. As one commentator rightly pointed out, “Given that some ETH activity has moved to L2s, shouldn’t we account for that in our analysis? After all, this is a more accurate representation of the true value and usage within each ecosystem.”

As a analyst, I recognize that comparing transaction costs (TEV) across different blockchains, despite facing criticism, holds significance. Burniske elucidated that each Layer 2 (L2) solution operates within its distinct blockspace environment. Generally, TEV comparisons are conducted on a Like-to-Like basis between the primary chains. However, there are contrasting viewpoints regarding this methodology. Some argue that L2s form an integral part of larger ecosystems such as Ethereum, which has historically grappled with high transaction fees. At present, Ethereum’s fees occasionally dip below Tron’s levels.

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2024-05-15 11:53