During the recent crypto market sell-off triggered by Trump’s tariffs on China, the crypto market saw significant declines. The market recorded over $19 billion in liquidations, representing one of the largest daily losses in crypto history. As Bitcoin fell below $105,000 levels, major altcoins also saw sharp declines.
Solana manages high volumes despite market stress
The crypto selloff has been a true stress test for major blockchains, one that has exposed key differences between Solana and Ethereum under pressure.
Solana notably proved resilient, handling around 1,200 to 1,300 transactions per second even at the height of chaos, with block confirmations taking only 400 to 450 milliseconds. Fees briefly climbed to between 20 and 30 cents, but quickly fell back below a cent.
The network remained stable throughout, with no major slowdowns or congestion, highlighting Solana’s ability to operate in extremely tight market conditions.
Ethereum network slows down and fees rise
However, Ethereum struggled during the market turmoil, processing only around 13-15 transactions per second on its base layer, with block times as high as 14-15 seconds. Gas fees exceeded $500 per transaction during peak congestion, effectively undercutting most users and blocking DeFi wallets and operations.
While Solana remained fully functional, showing that recent enhancements such as Firedancer, QUIC, and stake-weighted QoS have improved network performance.
“When users are locked out and transactions cannot be cleared, the network might as well be offline. Under high load, blockchains must remain accessible, affordable and reliable,” said treasury company DefiDevCorp.
When the largest liquidation event in crypto history took place last Friday, BINANCE:ETHUSDT muffled, but BINANCE:SOLUSDT doesn’t.
During peak stress, Solana sustained 1,225 TPS, completed blocks in 350ms, and saw average fees peak at just $0.25 before quickly dropping back below $0.01.
Ethereum has struggled to… pic.twitter.com/OMzWsxmXFh
Zero problems with Solana
Crypto researcher Aylo also shared his experience during the stock market crash. He had open DeFi assets and positions on Solana and Ethereum and reported no issues with Solana. On the other hand, he noted that Ethereum, on the other hand, was unusable due to high costs during the stock market crash, and wallet services like Rabby also fell.
He shared that Solana has proven to be the most reliable and performing channel under heavy loads, although this is not fully reflected in its current valuation.
I had DeFi assets and positions open on Solana and Ethereum when the shit hit fans last Friday.
I had no problems with Solana.
Ethereum was unusable due to costs, as is always the case during stock market crashes + Rabby also fell.
ETH maxis should be a lot angrier about…
This shows how Solana’s high-throughput design handles extreme market stresses better than Ethereum’s more security-focused base layer.
Solana’s resilience under pressure
Although Ethereum’s scaling solutions like Arbitrum and Base work well during normal times, its mainnet can choke during moments of market panic. However, Solana, built for speed from the ground up, handles stress gently.
With over 20 months of availability since early 2023, it proves that under pressure, raw speed and reliability can rival even Ethereum’s massive, decentralized ecosystem.
If these trends continue, Solana’s reliability during market chaos could make it more attractive to traders, developers, and DeFi protocols than Ethereum.
While both networks have their own strengths, with Ethereum standing out for its decentralization and long track record, while Solana is designed for speed and low transaction costs, the recent market crash has highlighted how reliability and performance under stress are becoming key factors to consider.
FAQs
How Did Solana Fare During the Crypto Market Crash?
Solana remained stable, processing over 1,200 transactions per second with sub-second confirmations. Fees briefly increased, but quickly normalized, demonstrating strong resilience.
What happened to Ethereum when selling cryptocurrencies?
Ethereum’s network has slowed down significantly, with gas fees surpassing $500. This high cost has cost many users dearly and stalled DeFi operations and wallets.
Is Solana better than Ethereum?
Both have strengths; Ethereum excels at decentralization, while Solana is designed for speed and low cost. Performance during times of stress becomes a key differentiator for users.
