Solana's DEX Volume Surges 18% Quarter-Over-Quarter Driven by High Throughput and Low Costs

Solana has emerged as a dominant force in the decentralized exchange (DEX) landscape, experiencing an unprecedented surge in trading volume. This growth underscores the platform's increasing popularity and the confidence users have in its capabilities. The explosive DEX volume growth on Solana highlights its robust infrastructure and the efficiency of its blockchain technology, which has attracted a significant number of traders and developers.

The surge in DEX volume on Solana can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the platform's high throughput and low transaction costs make it an attractive option for traders looking to execute large volumes of trades quickly and cost-effectively. Secondly, the growing ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps) on Solana has provided users with a wide range of financial services, further driving the demand for its DEX platforms. Additionally, the platform's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement has helped it stay ahead of the competition, attracting more users and developers to its network.

Solana's dominance in the DEX landscape is further evidenced by its leading position in real value rankings and its impressive performance in Total Value Locked (TVL). The network generated $551 million in Real Economic Value (REV) in January 2025 alone, with a single-day high of $56.8 million. This figure surpassed the combined daily REV of Bitcoin and Ethereum, demonstrating the extensive activity processed by Solana. A major driver behind this growth was Jito, a staking protocol responsible for 42% to 66% of Solana’s monthly REV. Users paid hefty premiums for faster execution, proving strong demand for Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) without inflating transaction costs.

Solana's network speed and reliability are unmatched, processing up to 162 million transactions daily with average slot times around 390 milliseconds. The network has experienced zero downtime since February 2024, setting it apart from most competitors. The upcoming Alpenglow consensus upgrade could further enhance its performance by lowering finality to 100 milliseconds and reducing validator breakeven costs to about $75,000, providing another incentive for newcomers.

Institutional interest in Solana is growing rapidly. The network's TVL performance is impressive, ranking second only to Ethereum, averaging between $8 billion and $9 billion in the first half of 2025. This came alongside an 18% quarter-over-quarter increase. Stablecoins also surged on the network, growing from $1.5 billion to $11.7 billion in just 18 months. Circle alone minted $1.75 billion worth of USDC on Solana in May, reflecting strong ecosystem demand. Analysts now view Solana as a serious candidate for corporate treasury holdings, highlighting its yield opportunities, capital efficiency, and staking power.

Unlike Bitcoin, which offers no native yield, Solana lets companies generate returns without issuing new shares or diluting existing ones. This gives Solana a practical edge for public firms. Institutional adoption is already in motion, with collaborations like Byreal, a joint venture between Bybit and Solana, launching as a new product. As infrastructure expands and reliability stays strong, more firms are expected to take notice.

Despite this strong growth, Solana’s price has yet to fully reflect the momentum. At press time, SOL traded at $155.37, up 4.06% over the past 24 hours. With rising metrics and deepening institutional interest, the market may soon reprice accordingly. Solana leads in DEX volume, REV, and institutional adoption. Network performance stays unmatched, with no downtime and blazing speed. Corporate demand may push SOL into treasury reserves. All eyes now turn to price, waiting for it to follow fundamentals.