Ethereum vs Solana: performance comparison
Over the 12 months to Oct 6, 2026, Ethereum returned -42.2% and Solana -49.0%. This page puts the two side by side on the same dates — current prices, performance charts rebased to 100, returns from one month to five years, volatility, the deepest falls and how closely the two move together — recalculated daily from closing prices.
Performance, rebased to 100
Both lines start at 100 on the first shared date: a value of 150 means +50% since then.
- Ethereum-37.1%
- Solana-40.1%
- Ethereum+117.4%
- Solana+3,274.4%
Returns
| Period | Ethereum | Solana | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +8.9% | +13.5% | Solana |
| 3 months | +50.2% | +46.2% | Ethereum |
| 6 months | +29.8% | +52.2% | Solana |
| Year to date | -9.6% | -4.4% | Solana |
| 1 year | -42.2% | -49.0% | Ethereum |
| 3 years | +65.4% | +410.4% | Solana |
| 5 years | -24.1% | -22.4% | Solana |
Price returns between closing prices on the same dates for both assets; dividends and interest are not included. All prices are in US dollars. Data to Oct 6, 2026.
Risk
| Measure | Ethereum | Solana |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility, 1 year (annualized) | 57.0% | 64.6% |
| Volatility, 5 years (annualized, weekly) | 78.4% | 114.6% |
| Deepest fall, 5 years | -77.2%Oct 2021 – Jun 2022 | -96.1%Oct 2021 – Dec 2022 |
| Correlation, 1 year (daily returns) | 0.87 | |
| Correlation, 5 years (weekly returns) | 0.62 | |
Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of returns — higher means bigger swings. The deepest fall is the largest drop from a previous high. Correlation runs from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (in lockstep).
What the numbers say
Over five years (Jan 2021 to Oct 2026), Ethereum returned -24.1% and Solana -22.4%. Ethereum led over the past year, while Solana led over five years.
Annualized volatility over the past year: Ethereum 57.0%, Solana 64.6% — similar levels of volatility. Deepest fall over the period: Ethereum -77.2% (Oct 2021 – Jun 2022), Solana -96.1% (Oct 2021 – Dec 2022).
The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.87. That is a strong positive link: they have tended to move together. Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.62.
Past performance does not predict future returns.
Key differences
- Both are smart-contract platforms; Ethereum is older (2015) and larger, with the biggest ecosystem of decentralised finance and stablecoins.
- Design: Ethereum keeps its base layer conservative and scales through layer-2 networks built on top of it; Solana aims for high speed and low fees on a single chain.
- Track record: Solana is younger and suffered several network outages between 2021 and 2024; Ethereum has kept producing blocks without a full network halt since its launch.
The two assets
Ethereum
Ethereum is a programmable blockchain that hosts smart contracts, stablecoins and decentralised applications; its currency, ether (ETH), pays the network's fees. It has no fixed supply cap, and since September 2022 it has been secured by staking (proof of stake) rather than mining.
Ethereum chart and analysis →Solana
Solana is a high-throughput blockchain launched in 2020 and designed for fast, low-cost transactions; SOL pays its fees and is staked to secure the network. It is younger than Bitcoin and Ethereum and suffered several network outages in its first years.
Solana chart and analysis →Frequently asked questions
Which performed better over the past year, Ethereum or Solana?
Ethereum. In the 12 months to Oct 6, 2026, Ethereum returned -42.2% and Solana -49.0%, a difference of 6.8 percentage points. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which performed better over the past five years, Ethereum or Solana?
Solana. From Jan 2021 to Oct 2026, Ethereum returned -24.1% and Solana -22.4%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is more volatile, Ethereum or Solana?
Their volatility has been similar. Annualized volatility over the past year: Ethereum 57.0%, Solana 64.6%. Deepest fall over five years: Ethereum -77.2%, Solana -96.1%.
Do Ethereum and Solana move together?
A strong positive link: they have tended to move together. The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.87, on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) to +1 (moving in lockstep). Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.62.
How we calculate
Both series are aligned on the trading days (or weeks) they share, so every return covers the same dates for both assets. Periods up to one year use daily closes; three and five years use weekly closes. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of log returns, the deepest fall is measured on weekly closes, and correlation is the Pearson coefficient of returns over identical intervals. Data: Yahoo Finance and OKX, refreshed daily. All prices are in US dollars.