The crypto market is heating up again, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins all showing strong momentum. Many believe this could be the final surge of the current bull run, and investors are looking for the best place to park their money.
Among the standout Layer 1 projects right now are Solana (SOL) and Sui (SUI), both of which are attracting attention for different reasons. The question is simple: if you had $1,000 to invest, which one offers the better opportunity?
What you'll learn 👉
Solana’s Track Record and Memecoin Boost
In a recent video by Altcoin Buzz, analyst Maddie takes a deep dive into this comparison. He starts by exploring Solana’s journey, highlighting its incredible 171x gain during the last bull run. Bought at just over a dollar, SOL shot up to nearly $260 before crashing below $10 in December 2022. The sentiment around it turned cold fast, with many investors abandoning ship. But Solana bounced back impressively in early 2023 and even reached an all-time high of $293, thanks in part to the memecoin craze flooding liquidity into its ecosystem.
Maddie is quick to point out that although he doesn’t personally favor memecoins, their role in boosting Solana’s visibility and adoption can’t be ignored. At the time of the video, SOL was trading at around $172.5, showing an 11% gain in a single day. It continues to lead in metrics like monthly revenue and trading volume, and many developers are shifting from Ethereum to Solana for its speed and lower fees.
However, the analyst also highlights a few concerns. One major issue is Solana’s unlimited token supply, which poses long-term inflation risks. He calls this a red flag but not a complete dealbreaker. Maddie also notes that because Solana already has a massive market cap of $89.5 billion, the upside is likely limited to a 3x to 5.5x move, which would place it somewhere between $500 and $800 in an optimistic scenario.
SUI Price Potential and Institutional Momentum
Then comes the case for SUI. Maddie describes SUI as one of the most exciting projects in this cycle. It recently celebrated its second anniversary and is considered by some to be in its “toddler phase,” with massive room for growth. From just $0.80 in late 2024, SUI surged to over $5.35 by January 2025, reflecting a strong 5x move for early investors. Although it recently dipped to around $2 in April, it bounced back faster than many peers and was stabilizing around $3.50 to $4 during the video.
Compared to Solana, Maddie sees SUI’s tokenomics as more favorable. The total supply is fixed at 10 billion, with 3.3 billion already in circulation. While he admits 33% isn’t ideal, it’s still better than an unlimited model like SOL. On the institutional side, things are heating up too. SUI held its Base Camp event in Dubai and grabbed headlines when Canary Funds filed for a SUI ETF in April, followed closely by 21Shares filing another in May. This signals growing confidence from big players.
SUI is also surging in DeFi. It ranks 8th in Total Value Locked and has already surpassed the 9th spot, with $1.5 billion in TVL. Its community is also huge — it boasts 2.5 million daily active users, and its gaming focus is turning heads. Maddie mentions the SUI Play0x1 handheld device that already sold out 10,000 pre-orders and is shipping in September. On top of that, they’ve launched Game Dollar, a programmable stablecoin tailored for the gaming ecosystem.
Even as other altcoins wobble under market volatility, SUI is proving resilient. With projects like Walrus for decentralized data storage and Seal for boosting privacy, plus an emerging memecoin trend, it’s carving out a strong niche.
Read Also: Here’s Why SUI Price Could Hit $4.40 Soon, Expert Explains
Final Verdict: Maddie Chooses SUI
In the end, Maddie leans toward SUI as the better pick for a $1,000 investment. While Solana is a proven and solid project, its size limits the upside. SUI, on the other hand, is still small enough to offer significant returns if it follows Solana’s growth path. Maddie estimates that if SUI reaches Solana’s current market cap, it could rise to $28 — nearly 7x from current levels.
His conclusion? Solana remains powerful, but based on fundamentals, momentum, and potential upside, SUI offers more room to run. He encourages viewers to share their opinions on X and join the Altcoin Buzz community on Discord for further discussion
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