Solana will surpass Ethereum in DEX volume, reaching $117 billion in 2026.

Network data shows Solana is rapidly surpassing Ethereum in transactions, bridge Capital , and DEX volume, although Ethereum still holds a dominant lead in TVL.

In the last two weeks, both Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) have seen price declines, but the "which network is stronger" race ultimately depends on on-chain activity, Capital flow, DEXs, and payments. These indicators help assess the relative strength of ETH and SOL in the context of 2026.

ETH and SOL prices are both falling in the short term, but the on-chain picture is different.

In the short term, both ETH and SOL are declining in price, but network activity and Capital flow indicators suggest Solana is expanding rapidly, while Ethereum maintains an advantage in terms of " Capital lock-up" within the DeFi ecosystem.

Over the past two weeks, both Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) have weakened. Data cited in the original content indicates ETH is trading around $2,039, down more than 12% in 7 days, while SOL has fallen more than 17% over the same period.

Price fluctuations do not fully reflect the competitiveness between the two systems. To assess platform strength, it is necessary to Also Read transaction speed, Capital flow through the bridge, DEX volume , and the level of adoption in the payment sector.

Capital flows to Solana have surged despite significant contributions from Ethereum.

Solana recorded a significant increase in activity and bridge Capital flows, with over $100 million transferred from other chains to SOL in one week, of which Ethereum alone contributed over $50 million.

According to Blockworks data on Solana trading activity , Solana 's daily transaction volume reached a new peak of 160 million this month. The original content also indicates that the upward trend has been steady since November 2021, a period when the market began to enter the "altcoin season".

During the period in question, SOL traded around $84, but the price didn't fully reflect the intensity of network activity. It's important to note that the price weakening was described as a broader market trend, rather than just affecting Solana specifically.

Solana is not only active but also attracting Capital. The bridge data in the original content shows that over $100 million wastransferred across the bridge from other chains to SOL in one week, with Ethereum contributing over $50 million.

Besides Ethereum, other chains mentioned as making significant contributions to the bridge to Solana include TRON (TRX), Base, Arbitrum (ARB), and BNB Chain. This picture reinforces the view that Solana is expanding its trading market share through both demand and Capital flow.

Solana surpasses Ethereum in DEX volume, with more than double the amount.

The DEX data in the original content shows Solana leading with $117 billion, more than double Ethereum's $52 billion, thus demonstrating Solana 's clear dominance in decentralized trading at the time in question.

The data shows that Solana reached $117 billion in DEX volume, while Ethereum is in second place with $52 billion. Other systems like BNB Chain, Base, and Arbitrum follow behind, demonstrating that SOL not only competes directly with ETH but also leads the rest of the market in this metric.

This high-volume original content comes from projects running on Solana. The Solana ecosystem is described as a hub for memecoins, and Token in the RWA and DePIN categories are also launching on SOL.

This explains why Solana quickly caught up with Ethereum in the DeFi/DEX arena, where ETH was once the leading platform in many decentralized finance activities. However, its long-term "Capital accumulation" needs to be assessed against TVL (Total Value Added).

Solana leads in payment growth rate, but PayPal still dominates in terms of scale.

In the payments sector, Solana and Ethereum have higher percentage growth rates, but in absolute terms, PayPal still far surpasses them; SOL increased by 755% and ETH by 625%, according to data cited in the original content.

The original content, citing Artemis data, suggests that Solana continues to outperform Ethereum in new payment rails. However, the majority of the total volume is still dominated by fintech companies like PayPal, at $1.8 trillion at the time of the article.

In terms of on-chain size, the original data states that Solana reached $6.5 billion and Ethereum reached $68.2 billion. This means that ETH is larger than SOL in absolute volume according to this data, but still lags behind SOL in terms of price increase.

In terms of growth, SOL increased by 755% and ETH by 625%, while PayPal only increased by 6.3%. According to the original text, this is yet another category where ETH "lost" to SOL in terms of percentage growth, although this doesn't mean SOL won comprehensively in terms of scale.

Ethereum remains the larger blockchain when considering TVL.

Despite Solana strong growth in trading, bridging, and DEX, Ethereum still leads in Total Value Locked (TVL) with over $136 billion compared to Solana's approximately $17 billion, reflecting the level of trust and Capital size in DeFi.

The combined indicators suggest that Solana is accelerating its efforts to challenge Ethereum's long-standing dominance in blockchain technology. However, the original text emphasizes that the battle is "not over" as the TVL metric still heavily favors ETH.

Ethereum is stated to dominate TVL with over $136 billion in assets. Meanwhile, Solana has approximately $17 billion. This difference implies that Ethereum remains the ecosystem with a larger "locked" Capital size, often XEM as an indicator of trustworthiness and liquidation depth in DeFi.

Because TVL reflects the amount of assets committed in protocols (lending, DEX LP, Liquid Staking, vault, etc.), ETH 's advantage shows that even though SOL has high operational dynamism, Ethereum still maintains a large Capital base and may be difficult to replace in the short term.

Conclusion: Solana wins many battles in terms of activity, Ethereum maintains the advantage in terms of Capital confidence.

Solana is gaining ground in terms of activity (trading, DEX, payment growth) and attracting bridge Capital , but Ethereum remains the "standard" in TVL, demonstrating a more sustainable advantage in terms of asset size and ecosystem trust.

• Solana trading volume reached a new high, while bridge Capital into Solana increased sharply.
• Ethereum lags behind SOL in some growth and DEX metrics, but TVL shows that ETH is still the larger chain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Solana really surpass Ethereum?

It depends on the metrics. The original content shows Solana leading in trading activity, DEX volume, and payment growth rate, but Ethereum still outperforms in TVL (over $136 billion compared to $17 billion), reflecting the larger size of the DeFi Capital base.

Why is the Capital bridge to Solana noteworthy?

Because it reflects the need to shift liquidation to use the system. The data mentioned in the original content indicates that over $100 million was bridged to Solana in one week, with Ethereum contributing over $50 million, showing that SOL is attracting interest from many systems.

Does a larger DEX volume mean SOL is safer than ETH ?

No. DEX volume primarily measures trading volume, while security and " Capital confidence" often require Also Read of TVL, ecosystem diversification, and smart contract risks. The original content only concludes that SOL surpasses ETH in DEX Volume, not that it confirms security.

PayPal is much larger, so what Vai does blockchain play in payments?

According to the original data, PayPal leads in absolute size ($1.8 trillion), but blockchain leads in percentage growth rate: SOL increased by 755% and ETH by 625%, while PayPal increased by 6.3%. This suggests that the on-chain payment sector may be expanding rapidly from a low base.