The 2025 Layer-1 Shift: Why BlockDAG (BDAG) is Poised to Outperform Solana and ENA in the Next Bull Run

The blockchain landscape in 2025 is witnessing a seismic shift in Layer-1 infrastructure. As demand for scalable, secure, and cost-efficient networks intensifies, projects like Solana (SOL), Ethena (ENA), and BlockDAG (BDAG) are vying for dominance. However, one name stands out: BlockDAG. With its hybrid architecture, institutional credibility, and explosive presale traction, BDAG is uniquely positioned to outperform both Solana and Ethena in the next bull run. Let's break down why.

The 2025 Layer-1 Landscape: Scalability as the New Battleground

The crypto market's evolution has moved beyond mere speculation to infrastructure-first innovation. Solana, with its 3,500 TPS and 12-second finality, has long been the poster child for high-performance blockchains. Ethena, meanwhile, has leveraged stablecoin adoption and DeFi TVL to carve out a niche. Yet both face headwinds. Solana's price volatility and technical indicators remain mixed, while Ethena's TVL has plummeted from $14.8B to $10.2B in just three weeks, according to an FXStreet report.

Enter BlockDAG. Its hybrid DAG + Proof-of-Work model combines Bitcoin's security with a Directed Acyclic Graph's parallel processing. The Awakening Testnet already achieves 1,400 TPS, with the potential to scale to 15,000 TPS-triple Solana's current throughput, as reported in the Coinrise presale list. This isn't just incremental improvement; it's a paradigm shift.

Solana's Momentum: Institutional Adoption vs. Technical Weaknesses

Solana's Q4 2025 performance has been nothing short of meteoric. The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) launched with $69.5M in inflows, staking 82% of its SOL holdings to generate a 7% APY. The Alpenglow upgrade promises to slash finality to 150 milliseconds by Q1 2026, according to a Solana price prediction.

Yet cracks are forming. Solana's price, while up to $188.75, remains below its 200-day EMA and faces resistance at $230, according to a Crypto Economy article. The network's reliance on centralized validators and recent outages have raised red flags. Meanwhile, Ethena's TVL decline and ENA's price hovering near $0.47-below critical support levels-highlight its fragility, as the FXStreet report noted earlier.

BlockDAG's Disruptive Edge: Execution, Community, and Institutional Credibility

BlockDAG isn't just a technical marvel-it's a movement. Its $434M+ presale, selling 27.1B tokens to 312,000 holders, dwarfs Solana's institutional-driven growth, as the Coinrise presale list reports. The X1 App alone has attracted 3.5M users, transforming passive presale participants into active miners. This grassroots momentum is a stark contrast to Solana's top-down institutional focus.

Institutional partnerships further cement BDAG's credibility. The BWT Alpine F1 Team collaboration has brought global visibility, while its hybrid architecture-combining Bitcoin's PoW with DAG's scalability-addresses the trilemma of security, speed, and decentralization, coverage also noted in the Coinrise presale list. By comparison, Ethena's synthetic dollar model, while innovative, lacks the infrastructure depth to compete.

Market Timing: Why BDAG is the 2026 Bull Run Catalyst

Timing is everything in crypto. Solana's ETF and Alpenglow upgrade are bullish catalysts, but they're already priced in. Ethena's recovery hinges on stabilizing its TVL and breaking above $0.5000-a high bar.

BlockDAG, however, is in a different league. Its presale is still open, and the mainnet launch-expected to deliver 15,000 TPS-positions it as a 2026 breakout candidate. With a projected 3,233% ROI for early buyers and a staking yield of 7.03% APY, as reported earlier on the Coinrise presale list, BDAG combines utility with explosive upside.

Conclusion: The Layer-1 Winner is Clear

The 2025 Layer-1 race isn't just about speed or TVL-it's about execution, adaptability, and community. Solana's institutional tailwinds are real, but its technical vulnerabilities and volatility make it a risky bet. Ethena's DeFi ecosystem is struggling to retain liquidity.

BlockDAG, by contrast, has delivered on all fronts: a scalable architecture, explosive presale traction, and institutional partnerships. As the market shifts toward next-gen infrastructure, BDAG is the project that bridges the gap between Bitcoin's security and Ethereum's innovation. For investors seeking the next bull run's winner, the answer is clear.