Solana Poised to Surpass Ethereum in Developer Momentum
Altcoins 3 May 2025 | 21:00 In a surprising shift within the blockchain development landscape, Solana (SOL) is now neck and neck with Ethereum (ETH) in terms of the number of new projects seeking venture capital, according to Alliance DAO’s Qiao Wang, a seasoned cryptocurrency analyst and co-founder of Messari.Wang shared updated statistics from 2022 to 2025, revealing a dramatic trend: Ethereum has been steadily losing its dominance for 30 consecutive months. Momentum Shifts Toward Solana As of the first half of 2025, Ethereum’s share of startup founder interest has fallen below 50% — a first in its history. Solana, on the other hand, has steadily gained ground since the end of 2022, even managing to recover from the reputational hit caused by its association with the FTX collapse. According to Wang, “momentum favors Solana,” and it could soon become the leading chain for new blockchain projects. Alliance DAO, one of the most respected Web3 startup accelerators, tracks applications for funding from early-stage crypto projects. These internal metrics have become a reliable indicator of where developer energy is flowing — and the current trajectory suggests a significant shift away from Ethereum and toward Solana. The Rise of Alternative Chains Beyond Ethereum and Solana, other blockchains are also carving out significant developer communities. Polkadot (DOT), despite facing criticism and skepticism in recent years, remains in the top 10 for venture applications. Filecoin (FIL), Cosmos (ATOM), BNB Smart Chain (BSC), Bitcoin (BTC), Avalanche (AVAX), Sui (SUI), and Aptos (APT) also rank among the most sought-after platforms for Web3 entrepreneurs. The data indicates that developers are increasingly willing to explore faster, cheaper, and more scalable alternatives to Ethereum, especially as gas fees and congestion continue to be pain points. A Turning Point in Blockchain History? The fact that Ethereum’s dominance is being meaningfully challenged marks a critical moment in crypto’s evolution. While Ethereum remains the most battle-tested and widely adopted smart contract platform, the rise of Solana reflects a hunger for performance-oriented, user-friendly infrastructure — particularly among new founders looking to build at scale. With Solana’s technical improvements and growing ecosystem, the balance of power in blockchain innovation may be entering a new phase. If current trends continue, Solana could soon claim the top spot as the go-to chain for next-generation Web3 startups. Author Kosta Gushterov Reporter at Coindoo Kosta has been a part of the team since 2021 and has solidified his position with a thirst for knowledge, incredible dedication to his work and a "detective-like" mindset. He not only covers a wide range of trending topics, he also creates reviews, PR articles and educational content. His work has also been referenced by other news outlets.