The battle between the "monster" SOL and the ambitious rookie SUI: Who will be the dominant force in 2025?

The crypto market is witnessing a showdown between two ultra-fast blockchain giants: Sui and Solana. Both offer superior features such as quick transaction speeds, low fees, and strong security. Although there are many similarities, can only one of these blockchains claim the crown in this cycle?

Solana, a seasoned contender, has made a strong impression since the 2021 frenzy, while Sui, an ambitious newcomer, is proving its strength in the blockchain world. So which one has greater growth potential? Let's analyze deeper.

Solana (SOL): A veteran full of "muscle"

Solana has proven itself to be one of the strongest competitors in the blockchain world. Launched in 2020, it made a strong impression right from the very first days. From a price of just $1.5, Solana skyrocketed to $260 in a short period, with a 173-fold increase in less than a year. What a crazy number!

SOL Price Chart 1 Week | Source: TradingViewDespite strong growth, Solana continues to improve and develop. Its blockchain has become much more stable, experiencing almost no issues since the end of 2022. This stability has attracted attention from major institutions, with the launch of the SOL staking ETF and a series of other ETFs being rolled out. This indicates that Solana is not only of interest to retail investors but is also a concern for large investment funds.

Solana is also rapidly developing in the traditional financial space. It not only supports cryptocurrency transactions but also expands into tokenized physical assets, such as stocks and treasury bonds. Notably, collectible platforms and real-world assets (RWA) are becoming an important part of Solana's ecosystem.

It can be said that Solana is not just a trend – it is surging like a tsunami as within a year, the number of daily active wallets on Solana has skyrocketed from under 1 million to over 16.3 million—a leap that cannot be ignored. This is not a small step – but a jump of 17 times.

Source: SantimentSince October 2024, the number of wallets has doubled. At that time, this figure was only 8.8 million. Since then, on-chain activity has increased vertically, and the price has not fallen behind: from $130 at the end of 2024 to over $200.

This is the déjà vu of the crypto market: users are increasing sharply, and prices are also climbing. History tends to repeat itself—and this time, the scale seems even larger.

Not only that, in just one week, Solana has attracted 78 million dollars through ETP products – surpassing both Ethereum and Bitcoin. This is not retail investor FOMO. These are investment funds, financial organizations, and Wall Street sharks seriously betting on the future of Solana. ETP is the gateway for them to enter crypto legally and safely. And when they pour money in, it's not gambling—it's a long-term strategy.

Even Solana is leading all Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains in network revenue for 16 consecutive weeks. A blockchain that generates more fees than Ethereum, yet is still valued much lower? This is an asymmetry that investors cannot overlook.

After a period of capital withdrawal, the net cash flow on Solana is now stabilizing. No one is in a hurry to sell anymore. And this indicates an important thing: the market is accumulating.

Decreasing supply + increasing demand = the classic formula for a parabolic price increase. This is no longer a theory—it is happening, day by day, hour by hour.

Famous analyst Ali Martinez has used the Fibonacci tool to map out a potential path to $2,000. It all could start from a key point: the price surpassing the $172 threshold. If that happens, the domino effect could spread rapidly to the unexpected.

Price levels to watch:

Source: XIt all revolves around closing weekly above $170. If it holds, a strong bullish trend could be triggered – just like what happened at the beginning of 2025.

Even AI models like ChatGPT agree: with the on-chain growth momentum, abundant institutional capital flow, and vibrant retail activity, the $200 mark is just the next stop – and $2,000 is entirely possible, if the factors continue to converge.

SUI: An ambitious newcomer rewriting the rules of the game

Unlike Solana – a "veteran" making a remarkable breakthrough – Sui is a newly emerged name, just launched in mid-2023. However, in a short period, this blockchain has created real tremors: directly entering the top 10 in total value locked (TVL) in the DeFi space, surpassing many veteran predecessors.

One reason comes from the explosion of real-world applications on the Sui platform. For example:

One of the most prominent highlights of Sui is the Walrus Protocol – a decentralized storage solution that is up to 80% cheaper than current competitors. This is not only a technical advancement but also a strategic leverage that helps Sui scale quickly.

This also explains why not only retail investors but also big players like Grayscale have started to closely monitor every move of this blockchain.

In 2024, Sui has reached an incredible milestone: over 230 million user accounts – a number that makes even veteran blockchains wary.

Not stopping there, the growth rate of Sui even surpasses Bitcoin, gold, S&P 500, and Coinbase stocks during the same period. It doesn't take long to realize that: this is not a name to be taken lightly.

Source: GrayscaleFrom a newcomer, Sui is gradually reshaping its position on the global blockchain map. With a rapidly growing ecosystem, optimized technology, and increasing interest from financial institutions, Sui is not just a new wave—but it could be the next wave.

Who will win in this battle?

Solana is one of the rare blockchains that can confidently stand firm in a volatile market. Dubbed a "beast" of the Web3 world, Solana boasts high stability, abundant liquidity, and a rich ecosystem spanning from DeFi, NFT, to RWA. With a solid position among the top blockchains, Solana is a top choice for long-term investors seeking safety and efficiency.

However, the current scale of Solana makes the potential for exponential price increases more difficult. Although analytical models expect SOL to reach $600 to $800 in the next cycle, achieving a 100x value like in the early days is almost impossible in the context of a more mature and competitive market.

Unlike Solana, Sui is a young newcomer but not inexperienced. The blockchain architecture of Sui, which is object-centric, is not only unique but also allows for optimization of speed, scalability, and user experience. Although it only appeared in mid-2023, Sui has risen to the top 10 blockchains in terms of TVL – an impressive feat for any project.

With the current price at around 4 dollars, the goal of SUI rising to 15 dollars is a completely reasonable target – equivalent to a fourfold increase. And if it continues to maintain its current growth rate, Sui could easily exceed expectations, becoming one of the strongest growth blockchains in the market.

SUI Price Chart 1 Week | Source: TradingViewIn the short term, Solana is clearly the more stable and less risky choice – a familiar path for many institutional investors looking for capital preservation and clear profit potential. But if you are someone willing to take risks for the chance of a breakout, then Sui is the dark horse worth betting on.

The race between Solana and Sui is not just about transaction speed or the number of users. It is a competition between a mature giant and an ambitious newcomer. Solana offers reassurance. Sui presents opportunities. And no matter whom you choose, one thing is certain: both are shaping the future of the blockchain industry – and the game has only just begun.

Taylor