1. **Solana (SOL)**
- **Description**: Solana is a high-performance layer-1 blockchain designed for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. It uses a unique Proof-of-History (PoH) consensus combined with Proof-of-Stake (PoS), providing high transaction speeds.
- **Characteristics**:
- Speed: up to 2400 transactions per second (theoretically up to 710,000 TPS).
- Transaction cost: ~$0.00026, making it one of the cheapest.
- Ecosystem: supports DeFi, NFT, meme coins, and dApps (e.g., Jupiter, Phantom).
- **Advantages**: Speed, low fees, growing ecosystem, popularity among developers.
- **Disadvantages**: Periodic network outages (e.g., 5-hour outage in February 2024), lower decentralization compared to Ethereum (~4500 validators).
- **Market Capitalization** (as of 18.04.2025): ~$69.15 billion (6th place).
- **Price** (approximately): $133.90.[](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/solana/)
2. **Ethereum (ETH)**
- **Description**: Ethereum is the leading platform for smart contracts and dApps, the first in this category. It uses Proof-of-Stake after the Merge update in 2022.
- **Characteristics**:
- Speed: ~15–30 TPS (depends on the network), but Layer-2 solutions (e.g., Arbitrum) significantly increase it.
- Transaction cost: $1–$10 (depends on load), cheaper on L2.
- Ecosystem: the largest in the world, includes Uniswap, OpenSea, Aave.
- **Advantages**: High decentralization (>1 million validators), reliability, wide adoption.
- **Disadvantages**: Higher fees and lower speed compared to Solana without L2.
- **Market Capitalization**: ~$280 billion (2nd place).[](https://coinledger.io/tools/solana-vs-ethereum)
3. **Binance Coin (BNB)**
- **Description**: Native token of Binance Smart Chain (BSC), a blockchain for dApps, compatible with Ethereum. Uses Proof-of-Staked-Authority (PoSA).
- **Characteristics**:
- Speed: ~100 TPS, significantly faster than Ethereum, but slower than Solana.
- Transaction cost: ~$0.01–$0.10, cheaper than Ethereum but more expensive than Solana.
- Ecosystem: PancakeSwap, numerous DeFi and NFT projects.
- **Advantages**: Integration with the Binance ecosystem, low fees, high liquidity.
- **Disadvantages**: Lower decentralization (only 21 validators), dependence on Binance.
- **Market Capitalization**: ~$53.4 billion (4th place).[](https://academy.aaxspace.com/en/binance-smart-chain-vs-solana-comparing-the-key-differences/)
**Comparison**:
- **Speed and scalability**: Solana leads thanks to PoH, significantly outpacing BNB and ETH. [](https://www.investopedia.com/solana-5210472)
- **Fees**: Solana offers the lowest transaction costs, ideal for microtransactions and DeFi. [](https://www.investopedia.com/solana-5210472)
- **Decentralization**: Ethereum is the most decentralized, Solana is in the middle, while BNB has the least decentralization due to the limited number of validators. [](https://coinledger.io/tools/solana-vs-ethereum)[](https://blockchain.oodles.io/dev-blog/solana-vs-bsc-which-is-better-for-dapp-development/)
- **Ecosystem**: Ethereum has the largest and most mature ecosystem, Solana is growing rapidly (especially in meme coins and NFTs), and BNB benefits from Binance's support. [](https://coinledger.io/tools/solana-vs-ethereum)[](https://academy.aaxspace.com/en/binance-smart-chain-vs-solana-comparing-the-key-differences/)
- **Risks**: Solana has network stability issues, BNB relies on a centralized platform, and Ethereum can be costly for users without L2. [](https://coinledger.io/tools/solana-vs-ethereum)[](https://www.moonpay.com/learn/bitcoin/bitcoin-vs-solana)
**Conclusion**: Solana (SOL) is perfect for those looking for speed and low fees, especially for DeFi and NFT. Ethereum (ETH) remains the choice for security and a mature ecosystem, while BNB attracts due to its integration with Binance and availability. The choice depends on your goals: speed (SOL), reliability (ETH), or exchange ecosystem (BNB).[](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/solana/)[](https://coinledger.io/tools/solana-vs-ethereum)[](https://academy.aaxspace.com/en/binance-smart-chain-vs-solana-comparing-the-key-differences/)
And what will you choose?