Ethereum, Sui or Solana: Which blockchains are the cheapest?

Ethereum is currently struggling in terms of on-chain activity compared to Sui and Solana, which are actually showing strong growth. Despite the activity, Ethereum remains the undisputed DeFi king and its Layer-2 solutions are even cheaper.

In recent months, competition between Ethereum Layer-2 networks and alternative Layer-1 blockchains such as Solana and Sui has increased significantly. With the introduction of the Dencun upgrade, Ethereum was able to significantly improve the efficiency of its scaling solutions, particularly noticeable in lower transaction costs.

Some Ethereum Layer-2 networks such as Polygon and Arbitrum have achieved even lower costs than Solana in the past 90 days. The average transaction fee on Polygon is only $0.006 per transaction, while Arbitrum is at $0.015. By comparison, Solana-a network known for its low transaction fees-is currently sitting at $0.019 per transaction. This development shows that Ethereum Layer-2s can compete in direct cost comparison with the most efficient Layer-1 blockchains such as Solana and even become cheaper.

This trend may further increase pressure on alternative Layer-1 blockchains such as Solana and Sui, as users increasingly opt for Ethereum Layer-2s' affordable and scalable solutions. Competition for market share in the DeFi and dApp sectors is therefore intensifying, especially because Ethereum, thanks to its network and trust therein continues to play a central role in the blockchain ecosystem.