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Solana's decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume has outpaced
for two consecutive quarters in 2025, according to data from DefiLlama and Messari. In Q2 (April–June), Solana's DEX volume reached $139.6 billion, compared to Ethereum's $82.7 billion. This lead was maintained in Q3 (July–September), with processing $117.1 billion in volume versus Ethereum's $105.3 billion[1]. The cumulative DEX volume for Solana in 2025 hit $1.21 trillion, exceeding Ethereum's $400 billion and Chain's $761 billion combined[3].Despite these gains, Solana's dominance is not uninterrupted. While the network led in Q2 and Q3, Ethereum's volume exceeded Solana's in August 2025, breaking any potential 10-month consecutive outperformance streak[1]. Over the past year, both networks have alternated leadership, with Ethereum reclaiming its position in certain months. However, Solana's average transaction fees-$0.043 per trade compared to Ethereum's $0.43-have driven high-frequency trading activity, contributing to its overall volume[4].
The surge in Solana's DEX volume is attributed to its technical advantages, including high throughput (65,000 transactions per second) and low costs, which attract developers and traders. Platforms like
, , and have expanded their ecosystems on Solana, offering liquidity pools and cross-chain tools[3]. Institutional interest has also grown, with funds and market makers leveraging the network's speed and affordability for large trades and liquidity strategies[3].However, the network faces challenges. On-chain data reveals that 96.6% of Solana's DEX addresses churn within a day, indicating high short-term activity but weak long-term adoption. While daily volume reached $4.013 billion in 2025, the average address lifespan remains under 24 hours, raising questions about the sustainability of the growth[4]. Analysts note that Solana's validator network, with 70% controlled by 100 entities, introduces centralization risks that could deter institutional investors seeking trustless environments[3].
The competitive landscape remains dynamic.
V3 and V3 continue to dominate DEX trading volume, with PancakeSwap leading in 2025[1]. Meanwhile, BNB Chain's consistent growth and Binance's ecosystem incentives have positioned it as a key rival. Despite Solana's current edge, Ethereum's upgrades and Layer 2 solutions could restore its dominance if scalability and fee issues persist[3].Quickly understand the history and background of various well-known coins

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