Ethereum News Today: Solana Maintains 28.18M Active Address Lead as Ethereum Surges 8.7% on ETF Inflows

Solana maintained its dominance in public blockchain activity over the past seven days, leading in active address count with 28.18 million, while Ethereum demonstrated notable growth. According to Nansen data, Solana’s active address count increased by 1.9%, securing second place in growth metrics, while Ethereum saw an 8.7% rise, the highest among major chains [1]. Defillama’s 24-hour DEX trading volume data further highlighted Solana’s competitive edge, with $17.96 billion in volume, trailing only BNB Chain ($39.3 billion) and Ethereum ($23.4 billion) [1].

Ethereum’s growth was attributed to expanding ETF inflows and shifting investor behavior. U.S.-listed spot Ethereum ETFs have attracted $8.7 billion in net inflows within their first year, reflecting growing institutional adoption [7]. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s exit queue surged to over 680,000 ETH, signaling increased unstaking activity as investors reassess their positions [3]. This trend aligns with easing demand from Layer 2 solutions, as indicated by Ethereum’s blob gas drawdowns, suggesting a potential recalibration in network usage [5]. Despite these developments, Ethereum lagged behind Solana in daily fee generation and transaction throughput, with the latter processing transactions at a significantly higher rate, supported by its Proof of History consensus mechanism [1].

The contrasting strategies of Solana and Ethereum underscore divergent paths in blockchain innovation. Solana’s focus on speed and affordability—processing transactions at a rate far exceeding Ethereum’s 21 TPS theoretical maximum—has solidified its appeal for high-performance use cases [1]. Ethereum’s resilience, however, is tied to its established ecosystem and institutional traction, including ETF adoption and ongoing upgrades. Analysts note that Ethereum’s exit queue expansion could signal short-term volatility, though its long-term institutional support remains a bullish factor [5].

Artificial intelligence models have further emphasized both chains’ strategic relevance, with Solana and Ethereum featured in AI-generated rankings of top altcoins for 2025 [9]. Solana’s “blazing-fast” layer-one capabilities and Ethereum’s robust infrastructure highlight their complementary roles in the evolving blockchain landscape. However, Ethereum faces challenges in sustaining growth amid competition from high-throughput chains like Solana, which leverages lower fees to attract developers and users [9].

The interplay between these chains reflects broader market dynamics: demand for scalable, cost-efficient networks versus the adaptability of established platforms. While Solana’s leadership in activity metrics underscores the value of speed and affordability, Ethereum’s institutional traction and ecosystem maturity position it for long-term resilience. The coming months will likely reveal how these dynamics evolve, with AI forecasts and market trends offering insights into the trajectories of both networks.

Sources:

[1] [Public Blockchain Activity Top 7-Day Ranking: Solana Holds Top Position, Ethereum Leads in Growth](https://www.theblockbeats.info/en/flash/304661)

[3] [Ethereum Exit Queue Surges, Investors Watch Closely](https://m.economictimes.com/crypto-news-today-live-26-jul-2025/liveblog/122911908.cms)

[5] [Research](https://www.blockscholes.com/research)

[7] [Ethereum ETFs Pull In $8.7B in First Year…](https://cryptoadventure.com/ethereum-etfs-pull-in-8-7b-in-first-year-after-almost-5b-rush-in-past-two-weeks/)

[9] [We Asked 4 AIs to Rank the Top 5 Altcoins for 2025](https://cryptoadventure.com/we-asked-4-ais-to-rank-the-top-5-altcoins-for-2025-xrp-didnt-take-1/)