Google Trends shows a 180% spike in searches for Solana. DEX volumes on Solana hit $326 billion in Q3 2025 alone, surpassing Ethereum.
DeFi total value locked (TVL) on Solana grew 32.7% quarter-over-quarter to $11.5 billion.
If you’re in Web3, fintech, DeFi, or crypto, you need to understand why Solana is winning right now, and what it means for your business.
Quick Answers – Jump to Section
- What is Solana?
- Why is Solana surging in 2025?
- How does Solana compare to Ethereum?
- Why should Web3 businesses care about Solana?
- How can businesses position themselves for Solana’s growth?
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
What Is Solana?
Solana is a high-performance blockchain designed for speed, scalability, and low transaction costs. Launched in 2020, it uses a unique combination of Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of History (PoH) to process transactions faster and cheaper than most other blockchains.
Key stats:
- Transaction speed: 65,000+ transactions per second (TPS)
- Average transaction cost: $0.00025 (compared to Ethereum’s $5–$50+ during peak times)
- Block time: ~400 milliseconds
For context, Ethereum processes around 15–30 TPS, and Bitcoin handles about 7 TPS. Solana is more than twice as fast as Ethereum and nearly 10,000 times faster than Bitcoin.
That speed and cost advantage is why Solana is becoming the go-to blockchain for DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and enterprise applications.
Why Is Solana Surging in 2025?
1. DEX Volumes Are Exploding
Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) on Solana processed over $500 billion in total volume in 2025 so far. In Q3 alone, Solana hit $326 billion in DEX volume—a 21% increase from Q2.
This means more traders, more liquidity, and more activity happening on Solana than ever before. When DEX volumes surge, it signals real usage, not just speculation.
2. Lower Costs = More Accessibility
Ethereum’s gas fees can range from $5 to $50+ per transaction during peak times. Solana’s average transaction cost is $0.00025.
That 99.9% cost difference matters. It makes Solana accessible to users who can’t afford Ethereum’s fees, and it opens the door for microtransactions, gaming, and high-frequency trading that would be impossible on Ethereum.
3. DeFi Growth
Solana’s DeFi TVL grew to $11.5 billion in Q3 2025, maintaining its position as the second-largest DeFi ecosystem after Ethereum. Projects like Raydium, Jupiter, and Marinade Finance are driving adoption by offering fast, cheap, and user-friendly DeFi experiences.
4. Institutional Adoption
Solana is gaining traction with institutional players. DeFi asset managers are targeting Solana for infrastructure growth, and analysts predict SOL could hit $220–$420 by the end of 2025. Google’s Gemini AI even forecasted $420 as a realistic target based on current momentum.
5. Ecosystem Expansion
Solana’s ecosystem is expanding beyond DeFi. NFTs, gaming, payments, and enterprise blockchain solutions are all growing on Solana. The network’s speed and low costs make it ideal for applications that require high throughput and real-time interactions.
Solana vs. Ethereum: What Web3 Businesses Need to Know
| Feature | Solana | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Speed | 65,000+ TPS | 15–30 TPS |
| Average Transaction Cost | $0.00025 | $5–$50+ |
| Block Time | ~400 milliseconds | ~12 seconds |
| DeFi TVL | $11.5 billion | $50+ billion |
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof of Stake + Proof of History | Proof of Stake |
| Primary Use Cases | DeFi, NFTs, gaming, payments | DeFi, NFTs, enterprise, smart contracts |
Bottom line: Ethereum has the largest DeFi ecosystem and the most developer activity. Solana has the speed, cost advantage, and momentum.
If your business needs fast, cheap transactions and you’re targeting users who can’t afford Ethereum’s fees, Solana is the better choice. If you need the most established ecosystem and developer support, Ethereum still leads.
Why Web3 Businesses Should Care About Solana
1. Lower Costs = Better User Experience
High gas fees on Ethereum create friction. Users abandon transactions, developers struggle to build affordable applications, and adoption slows.
Solana removes that friction. Your users can transact without worrying about fees eating into their funds. That means better retention, higher engagement, and more conversions.
2. Speed Enables New Use Cases
Solana’s 400-millisecond block time and 65,000+ TPS enable use cases that are impossible on slower blockchains:
- High-frequency trading – Traders can execute multiple trades per second without delays.
- Gaming – In-game transactions happen instantly, creating seamless player experiences.
- Payments – Real-time payments and microtransactions become viable.
- NFT minting – Artists and creators can mint and sell NFTs at scale without bottlenecks.
3. Growing Ecosystem = More Opportunities
Solana’s ecosystem is expanding rapidly. More projects, more liquidity, more users. If you’re building in Web3, launching on Solana gives you access to a fast-growing network with strong developer support and institutional backing.
4. AI and Search Visibility
As AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini become primary discovery tools, being visible in AI-generated responses is critical. Solana’s momentum and media coverage mean it’s being cited more frequently by AI engines.
If your business is building on Solana, you’re more likely to be recommended when users ask AI engines about fast, affordable blockchains.
Want to learn how to optimize your Web3 content for AI engines? Check out our guide: How to Boost Web3 Visibility with LLM Optimization.
How to Position Your Web3 Business for Solana’s Growth
1. Build on Solana (or Expand to It)
If you’re launching a new DeFi protocol, NFT marketplace, or Web3 application, consider building on Solana. The speed, cost, and growing ecosystem make it an attractive alternative to Ethereum.
If you’re already on Ethereum, consider expanding to Solana to tap into a new user base and reduce transaction costs for your users.
2. Optimize Your Content for AI and Search
Solana’s surge in Google Trends and AI citations means more people are searching for Solana-related content. If your business operates in the Solana ecosystem, you need to be visible in both traditional search engines and AI-generated responses.
Learn how to win AI attention with off-site content distribution: How to Win AI Attention with Off-Site GEM in Web3.
3. Leverage Community and Token Engagement
Solana’s community is active and engaged. If you’re building on Solana, tap into that community through NFTs, tokens, and incentives.
Read our guide on building loyal fans: How to Build Loyal Fans in Web3 by Using NFTs and Tokens.
4. Bridge Off-Chain Marketing to On-Chain Actions
Marketing in Web3 isn’t just about awareness. It’s about driving on-chain actions—wallet connections, token purchases, NFT mints, and protocol interactions.
Learn how to connect your marketing efforts to blockchain activity: How to Bridge Web3 Off-Chain Marketing to On-Chain Actions.
FAQ
What is Solana and how does it work?
Solana is a high-performance blockchain that uses Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of History (PoH) to process over 65,000 transactions per second. It’s designed for speed, scalability, and low costs, making it ideal for DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and payments.
Why is Solana faster than Ethereum?
Solana’s unique Proof of History mechanism timestamps transactions before they’re processed, allowing validators to work in parallel. This enables 65,000+ TPS compared to Ethereum’s 15–30 TPS.
How much does a Solana transaction cost?
The average Solana transaction costs $0.00025, compared to Ethereum’s $5–$50+ during peak times. This 99.9% cost difference makes Solana accessible for microtransactions and high-frequency use cases.
Is Solana better than Ethereum for Web3 businesses?
It depends on your needs. Solana is better for speed, low costs, and applications requiring high throughput (gaming, payments, trading). Ethereum has the largest DeFi ecosystem and most developer support. Many businesses use both.
What are the risks of building on Solana?
Solana has experienced network outages in the past, though stability has improved significantly. It’s also more centralized than Ethereum, with fewer validators. Businesses should weigh these factors against Solana’s speed and cost benefits.
How can I optimize my Web3 business for Solana’s growth?
Build or expand to Solana, optimize your content for AI and search engines, engage with Solana’s active community through NFTs and tokens, and connect your marketing efforts to on-chain actions like wallet connections and token purchases.
Final Thoughts
Solana’s 180% surge in Google Trends isn’t hype. It’s backed by real data: $326 billion in DEX volume, $11.5 billion in DeFi TVL, and 99.9% lower transaction costs than Ethereum.
For Web3 businesses, Solana offers speed, affordability, and a growing ecosystem. If you’re building in DeFi, NFTs, gaming, or payments, Solana deserves a spot in your strategy.
The question isn’t whether Solana will continue growing. It’s whether your business will be positioned to benefit from that growth.
Want to dominate search and AI visibility in Web3?
InfluxJuice helps Web3 businesses get found by both search engines and AI engines like ChatGPT. We optimize your content, distribute it across 700+ high-authority sites, and position your brand as the authority in your space.
Ready to grow? Contact us today.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your business referenced on ChatGPT with our free 3-Step Marketing Playbook.
Want to know how we can guarantee a mighty boost to your traffic, rank, reputation and authority in you niche?
Tap here to chat to me and I’ll show you how we make it happen.
If you’ve enjoyed reading today’s blog, please share our blog link below.
Do you have a blog on business and marketing that you’d like to share on influxjuice.com/blog? Contact me at rob@influxjuice.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.