Two major crypto projects that investors compare and are battling for attention among investors are Sui and Solana. Both are fast, scalable, and low-cost blockchains. Both have strong ecosystems and dedicated communities. But if you had to pick just one to ride through this cycle, which should it be?
In a new video on the Altcoin Buzz YouTube channel, analyst Maddie breaks down the case for each of these layer 1 giants. It’s a deep dive into fundamentals, performance, market potential, and where each project might go from here.
What you'll learn 👉
Solana Price Outlook and Ecosystem Strength
Solana was one of the biggest winners during the last bull run. Back in 2020, the SOL price was just $1.50. By the peak of 2021, it had reached around $260, that’s a 173x gain in under two years. It became the poster child for fast blockchains and was praised for its low fees and growing NFT and DeFi presence.
Maddie notes that Solana didn’t just survive the bear market, it reinvented itself. After the FTX collapse, many counted it out. But Solana fixed one of its most pressing issues: network halts. Since October 2022, the chain has only halted twice. That’s a major improvement and a sign that Solana is becoming more stable.
Institutional adoption is also growing. Solana recently launched a staking ETF that saw $33 million in volume on its first day. Spot ETFs are in the works too. Large firms like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton are now involved in tokenizing real world assets on Solana.
Meme coins are another huge driver of activity. Whether or not you’re a fan, the ecosystem is full of popular tokens like PUMP and BONK. Solana is also expanding into tokenized stocks with its new xStocks feature, which lets users trade equities 24/7 on DeFi platforms.
SOL currently trades around $161 with a market cap of $86.7 billion. Maddie doesn’t expect another 100x from here, but a 4x to 5x move could still happen if Solana hits the $600 to $800 range. That’s solid growth for a project of this size.
Related Article: Why SUI Price May Not Outperform Solana This Cycle, Despite the Hype
Sui Price and Momentum Are Picking Up Fast
Now let’s talk about the new challenger: Sui. It launched just two years ago, but already ranks in the top 10 by total value locked (TVL). Maddie highlights that Sui is now outperforming several well-known chains and has a fast-growing ecosystem.
Platforms like Bluefin, a top decentralized exchange, and SWELEND, a lending protocol, are gaining serious traction. Sui also introduced TBTC to bring Bitcoin into its ecosystem and is launching a number of airdrop-friendly projects like Momentum and Walrus.
Grayscale recently featured Sui in a report and praised Walrus for being up to 80% cheaper than competitors when it comes to data storage. It’s already a top 150 token and offers decentralized storage for everything from NFTs to AI models.
The SUI price has been holding steady even during market pullbacks. It’s currently just under $4, and Maddie believes the token could reach $15 in this cycle. That’s nearly a 4x from here. Compared to Solana’s much larger size, Sui’s smaller market cap of $13.8 billion gives it more room to grow.
Developer activity is strong, user growth is nonstop, and the ecosystem keeps expanding into gaming and AI use cases. Sui now has over 230 million accounts and continues to set new records across multiple metrics.
Solana vs Sui: The Final Verdict
So which one is the better buy?
Maddie sees Solana as the more established and safer option. It has deep liquidity, a proven track record, and strong roots in DeFi, NFTs, and now ETFs. For conservative investors, SOL is likely the better short-term choice.
Sui, on the other hand, is newer, faster-growing, and packed with innovation. It has a smaller market cap and more upside potential. Maddie believes it could close the gap on Solana over the long term if it stays consistent. Its object-centric architecture, cheaper storage solutions, and explosive DeFi growth make it one to watch closely.
Read Also: Litecoin (LTC) Price Is Going to $1,000, Analyst Explains Why
If you’re looking for stability and slower but steady gains, Solana might be your pick. If you’re chasing higher returns and willing to take on a bit more risk, Sui could be the move.
Both chains are major players in the current cycle. Whether you’re watching the SUI price or the SOL price, it’s clear these are two of the most important layer 1s to follow in 2025. Maddie leans slightly toward SUI in this matchup, but encourages viewers to decide based on their own goals and risk tolerance. No matter what you choose, the race between Sui and Solana is far from over.
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