Solana Skyrockets Past Ethereum in Popularity Surge Amid Crypto Frenzy

Solana's popularity surges amidst the bull run, surpassing Ethereum in transaction volume due to the frenzy surrounding Solana-based NFTs and memecoins. The eco-friendly blockchain has witnessed a significant increase in activities, with over $11 billion worth of transactions processed in the past 24 hours. Solana's native token, SOL, has also experienced a surge in value, reaching a new high of $200 this week.

Solana Surges Amidst Crypto Frenzy, Eclipsing Ethereum in Popularity

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts are leveraging the ongoing market rally, sparking significant activity across blockchain networks. Among the most prominent, the eco-friendly Solana blockchain has recently surpassed Ethereum in popularity. This surge is primarily attributed to the proliferation of Solana-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and memecoins, which have captivated the global Web3 community.

According to data from Coinbase, Solana processed a staggering $11 billion (approximately ₹91,703 crore) in transactions within the past 24 hours alone, fueled by the acquisition of low-priced tokens and memecoins.

Solana's Dominance

In a recent analysis, CoinGecko ranked Solana as the most popular blockchain, commanding a 49.3% share of global crypto investor interest. This dominance stems from its launch in 2020 by Solana Labs, co-founded by Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal.

Since its inception, Solana's native token, SOL, has experienced a meteoric rise. Initially priced at $0.22 (approximately ₹18) at launch, SOL has soared to unprecedented heights. This week, it surpassed the $200 (approximately ₹16,700) mark for the first time, before undergoing a slight correction and currently trading at $175 (approximately ₹14,600). Remarkably, SOL's value has surged by an impressive 700% over the past year.

Memecoin Mania

The Solana blockchain has reportedly generated $150 million (approximately ₹1,252 crore) through the sale of memecoins such as Bonk and Slerf. Consequently, transaction fees on Solana have witnessed a surge, despite its reputation for relatively low gas fees.

"Solana has exhibited remarkable resilience. Total trading volume on decentralized exchanges (DEXes) has heavily favored SOL, with over $6 billion (approximately ₹50,190 crore) traded on the Solana chain in the past 24 hours, compared to approximately $2.1 billion (approximately ₹17,566 crore) on Ethereum. The surge in memecoin popularity is a major catalyst for the on-chain trading activity we're witnessing today," stated the CoinSwitch Markets Desk to Gadgets360.

Ethereum's Position

Meanwhile, Ethereum, which underwent a significant update known as Dencun earlier this year, has secured the second spot on CoinGecko's list of most popular blockchains. Ethereum accounts for 12.73% of global traffic share between January 1 and March 18, 2024.

"This is likely due to Ethereum's established ecosystem and familiarity among investors, which has diminished its appeal as a novel crypto narrative," the analysis observed.

Following Solana and Ethereum, the BNB Chain, Cosmos, Avalanche, and Arbitrum occupy the third to sixth positions on CoinGecko's ranking.