Solana Pulls $2.85B in Annual Revenue, Outpacing Ethereum’s Early Growth by 30x

Core Insights - Solana has achieved $2.85 billion in annual revenue, establishing itself as the fastest-growing blockchain of the year according to a report from 21Shares [1][9] Revenue Breakdown - Trading platforms contributed $1.12 billion, approximately 39% of Solana's total revenue [3][9] - Monthly revenue averaged around $240 million between October 2024 and September 2025, peaking at $616 million in January during the memecoin frenzy [4][9] Performance Comparison - Solana's revenue growth exceeds Ethereum's early trajectory by over 30 times, with Solana generating between $200 million and $250 million consistently five years post-launch, compared to Ethereum's under $10 million per month [5][6] Network Activity - Solana supports over 1.2 to 1.5 million daily active addresses, roughly three times Ethereum's early user base, attributed to its low-cost, high-throughput design [6] Institutional Adoption - Nearly $4 billion worth of SOL is held by 18 tracked entities, including Forward Industries and Sharps Technology, indicating growing institutional interest [7] - Nasdaq-listed Brera Holdings has rebranded to Solmate after raising $300 million to focus on Solana treasury and infrastructure [7] Market Speculation - There is increasing speculation regarding the potential approval of spot Solana ETFs, with applications from firms like Fidelity and Grayscale pending SEC decisions [8] - Traders on prediction market Polymarket show 99% confidence that a Solana ETF will be approved before the end of the year [8]