Better Cryptocurrency to Buy Right Now: Cardano vs. Solana

Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA) boast about delivering top-notch performance, but it’s clear that one of them has already taken the lead in the expressway, whereas the other seems to be cautiously cruising along the side lane for now.

If you’re considering investing in cryptocurrency right now, it’s crucial to understand the differences between them. So, let’s delve deeper and explore the options available.

Solana is already taking off

In terms of optimal user experience (UX) within cryptocurrency, what users and investors often aspire for is blockchain technology that operates at blazingly fast speeds and costs almost nothing to utilize, making it feel virtually free.

On Solana, transactions typically cost around 0.0008 dollars and are usually completed within a second or less. However, on Cardano during the first quarter of 2025, the average transaction fee reached as high as 0.29 dollars due to decreased on-chain activity, while the settlement times can range from 15 seconds to a whole minute, which may create some inconvenience for users.

Utilizing superior technology by Solana fosters increased adoption, heightened use of decentralized applications (dApps), and an accumulation of greater capital on its network.

During the second quarter, Solana earned an impressive $271 million as network revenue, marking its third consecutive quarter at the top among all chains. Remarkably, it equaled the total of all other Layer-1 (Level 1) and Layer-2 (Level 2) chains combined in terms of monthly active wallet addresses during June.

Apart from its impressive stature, Solana’s Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Total Value Locked (TVL) hovers around $9.3 billion, trailing closely behind Ethereum. The robust DeFi ecosystem of Solana is bolstered by its stablecoins. The circulation of these stablecoins on the Solana network has seen a 5.5% increase month-over-month, reaching an impressive $10.4 billion as of July 16.

Cardano’s latest report indicates a reversal of trends: The average daily transactions decreased by 28%, reaching approximately 51,500 in Q1; the total value locked in DeFi dropped by 29%, settling at around $319 million; and fee revenue plummeted by 32% to only about $1.3 million.

From my perspective as an ardent investor, these metrics directly reflect the token’s demand or its absence. An increase in users paying fees and capital being parked on-chain signifies robust, long-term growth for Solana. On the other hand, Cardano is grappling with decreasing transaction capacity and an inflated fee structure.

Growth engines vs. good intentions

Solana is attracting projects across virtually every growth segment in crypto.

NFT marketplaces, AI-focused data networks, platforms that convert real-world assets into digital tokens, a rapidly growing scene of meme coins, and integration with traditional financial systems are all active and thriving on this platform. The fact that the chain is constantly updating and improving makes it an attractive choice for projects to start their work here, as they can reasonably expect the chain’s capabilities to keep expanding to meet their needs over time.

In contrast, Cardano’s development culture is famously methodical.

Theoretically, it offers robust security, but practically, it brings everything to a standstill. Its scaling solution, Hydra, which has been promoted since 2020 as a fast Layer-2 chain operating above Cardano, is mostly theoretical and underused, despite some impressive high-throughput test results in mid-2025.

Despite some efforts, Cardano’s market cap for its stablecoin remains small at around $32 million. Compared to Solana, this figure is almost insignificant. The lack of advanced scaling solutions and significant amounts of essential financial infrastructure like stablecoins has led to minimal institutional interest in Cardano, which in turn hinders the flow of capital into the platform and pushes developers towards other projects.

Cardano’s stablecoin market value is tiny compared to Solana’s. Since there are not many advanced tools for expanding capacity (scaling layer) or essential financial infrastructure like stablecoins, institutional investors show little interest in Cardano, which makes it hard for the platform to attract more money and encourages developers to work on other projects instead.

The verdict

Is it plausible that Cardano could match Solana’s growth in the future? Certainly, but potential investors should carefully consider the trade-offs involved.

Solution: Solana is currently functioning across consumer and institutional platforms, with its fee structure allowing it to accommodate new demand without draining user wallets. On the other hand, Cardano needs to rekindle user interest, encourage users to leverage Hydra’s scalability features, and ultimately persuade significant financial entities to join – or surpass in a burgeoning market segment that hasn’t yet been dominated by major players.

Solana is already operational across various consumer and business platforms, with its fees flexible enough not to deplete users’ wallets when demand increases. Meanwhile, Cardano needs to stimulate user engagement, make the most of Hydra’s scaling benefits, and ultimately attract big financial players – or excel in a promising market niche that major competitors haven’t yet cornered.

If your goal is to secure a dynamic, profitable network that has successfully matched its products with market demands, and which boasts a steady flow of key institutional triggers, then Solana appears to be the most suitable choice when considering investment options.

2025-07-20 12:05

Solana is already taking off

Growth engines vs. good intentions

The verdict

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