A Comprehensive Analysis of Transaction Speeds, Costs, and Real-World Applications of Solana, Ethereum, and SUI

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of three prominent blockchain networks: Solana (SOL), Ethereum (ETH), and SUI. The study examines transaction speeds, costs, transaction volumes, and evaluates the benefits and disadvantages of each cryptocurrency in real-world applications. Through detailed analysis of technical specifications, market performance, and ecosystem development, this research provides insights into the relative strengths and weaknesses of these blockchain platforms as they compete for market dominance in 2025.

Introduction

The blockchain ecosystem is evolving rapidly, with Ethereum, Solana, and SUI emerging as leading platforms. This study evaluates their technical specs, economic models, and practical use cases between 2022 and 2025 to guide developers, users, and investors.

2. Technical Comparison

Consensus Mechanisms

• Ethereum: Proof-of-Stake (PoS); highly secure and energy-efficient since Ethereum 2.0.

• Solana: Combines Proof-of-History (PoH) + PoS; enables high throughput and fast consensus.

• SUI: Narwhal & Bullshark; supports parallel execution for superior scalability.

Programming & Virtual Machines

• Ethereum: Uses EVM; primarily supports Solidity and Vyper.

• Solana: Uses SVM; supports Rust, C, and C++.

• SUI: Uses Move VM; supports Move language focused on secure asset management.

3. Performance

Theoretical Max TPS

• Ethereum: 15–30 TPS (base layer); thousands possible via Layer 2.

• Solana: Up to 65,000 TPS.

• SUI: Up to 120,000 TPS through parallel processing.

Real-World TPS

• Ethereum: 12–15 TPS.

• Solana: 2,000–4,000 TPS.

• SUI: 1,000–5,000 TPS.

Block Time & Finality

• Ethereum: 12–15 seconds.

• Solana: ~400 milliseconds.

• SUI: Sub-second finality.

4. Transaction Costs

• Ethereum: $1–$5 normally; $10–$50+ under congestion.

• Solana: $0.00025–$0.01 (very low and stable).

• SUI: $0.001–$0.01 (low and predictable).

5. Ecosystem & Adoption

Daily Transaction Volume (2025)

• Ethereum: 1.2–1.5 million.

• Solana: 20–30 million.

• SUI: 3–8 million.

TVL (Total Value Locked)

• Ethereum: Over $25B.

• Solana: $1.5–2B.

• SUI: $200–500M.

Developer Growth YoY (2024–2025)

• Ethereum: +10%.

• Solana: +120%.

• SUI: +250%.

6. Strengths & Ideal Use Cases

7. Challenges & Weaknesses

• Ethereum: High fees, base-layer scalability limits, complexity, and moderate energy use.

• Solana: Network outages, centralization concerns, and high validator hardware requirements.

• SUI: Early-stage ecosystem, less battle-tested, steep learning curve (Move language), and limited adoption.

8. Notable Trends (2024–2025)

• Ethereum: Expanding Layer 2, Dencun upgrade, slow but steady growth.

• Solana: Explosive growth in transaction volume and developer base.

• SUI: Fastest-growing in volume and developer activity, though still emerging.

Conclusion

The comparison between Solana, Ethereum, and SUI reveals distinct advantages and trade-offs among these blockchain platforms. Ethereum maintains its position as the most established and widely adopted smart contract platform, benefiting from strong network effects and institutional adoption despite higher transaction costs. Solana offers superior performance in terms of speed and cost-effectiveness, making it attractive for high-throughput applications, though it faces challenges related to network stability and centralization concerns. SUI presents innovative technical solutions with promising scalability features, but as a newer platform, it must prove its long-term viability and build ecosystem adoption. The choice between these platforms ultimately depends on specific use case requirements, risk tolerance, and development priorities. Rather than viewing these networks as direct competitors, the blockchain ecosystem may benefit from their coexistence, with each platform serving different market segments and use cases. As the technology continues to evolve, interoperability solutions may enable users and applications to benefit from the unique strengths of each platform. The continued development and adoption of these blockchain networks will likely drive innovation in the broader cryptocurrency and decentralized technology space, contributing to the maturation of the digital economy and the realization of Web3\'s potential. Stakeholders should monitor ongoing developments, regulatory changes, and market dynamics to make informed decisions about platform adoption and investment strategies.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Soumyajit Sarkar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.