Solana vs Cardano: 12 months, side by side.
Both fell in the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, but not by the same amount: Solana -41.8%, Cardano -62.0%, a gap of 20.3 percentage points. Cardano swung 1.2x as hard, and their daily moves lined up closely (correlation 0.83).
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How much each one swung
Cardano was somewhat more volatile than Solana, 76.2% annualized against 65.7%. Cardano moved more than 5% in a day 65 times, Solana 43 times. On a typical day Cardano moved 2.38%, 1.3x the 1.82% of Solana. Their worst day was the same, Feb 5, 2026: Solana fell 15.0% and Cardano 14.3%. The day they parted most was a rally for both, Jul 3, 2026, but Cardano rose 11.6% and Solana only 2.1%.
| Measure | Solana | Cardano |
|---|---|---|
| Close on Oct 10, 2025 | $188.84 | $0.6553 |
| Close on Oct 10, 2026 | $109.99 | $0.2488 |
| 1-year change | -41.8% | -62.0% |
| Annualized volatility | 65.7% | 76.2% |
| Median daily move | 1.82% | 2.38% |
| Days with a move over 5% | 43 | 65 |
| Best day | +11.8%, Feb 6, 2026 | +15.2%, Aug 21, 2026 |
| Worst day | -15.0%, Feb 5, 2026 | -14.3%, Feb 5, 2026 |
| Maximum drawdown | -70.2% | -80.3% |
| Lowest close | $62.16, Jun 6, 2026 | $0.1435, Jun 25, 2026 |
| Days that closed higher | 173 of 365 | 151 of 365 |
| $500, one buy | $291.23 | $189.84 |
| $500, 52 weekly buys | $565.48 | $480.93 |
How closely Solana and Cardano moved together
Their daily moves were closely linked, with a correlation of 0.83. They closed in the same direction on 291 of the 365 days and in opposite directions on 74. On average Cardano moved 0.96% for every 1% move in Solana, a smaller reaction than one for one.
Solana had the better day more often than Cardano: on 210 of the 365 days. $500 in each, bought on Oct 10, 2025 and held, ended at $291.23 in Solana and $189.84 in Cardano. The lead changed hands during the year: the Solana holding was ahead by up to 83% on Aug 30, 2026, and behind by up to 5% on Nov 13, 2025. Solana also did better in six of the 11 full months. They differed most in June 2026, a month that went the same way for both: Solana -10.6%, Cardano -38.7%.
The deepest falls
Cardano's maximum drawdown went 10.1 percentage points deeper: 80.3%, from $0.7295 on Oct 13, 2025 to $0.1435 on Jun 25, 2026. Solana's worst run was 70.2%. Solana bottomed first, on Jun 6, 2026. Cardano kept falling for another 19 days, to Jun 25, 2026. By Oct 10, 2026, Solana was 47.3% below its 12-month high and Cardano 65.9% below its own.
Next to the other 17 comparisons
- Ranked by correlation, from most to least linked, this pair came seventh of 18.
- Ranked by how far apart the two 1-year results were, it came seventh of 18.
- By the difference in volatility between the two coins, it ranked eleventh of the 18 pairs.
$500 in each: one buy or 52 weekly buys
Spreading the $500 over 52 weekly buys beat a single buy on Oct 10, 2025 for both coins: almost every weekly buy, 50 for Solana and 50 for Cardano, came below the starting price. Only the Solana test ended above $500 ($565.48); the Cardano one finished at $480.93. Solana's weekly test finished $84.55 ahead of Cardano's.
Solana, one buy
$291.23
-41.8%
2.65 SOL at $188.84.
Solana, 52 weekly buys
$565.48
+13.1%
Average cost $97.25 per SOL.
Cardano, one buy
$189.84
-62.0%
763 ADA at $0.6553.
Cardano, 52 weekly buys
$480.93
-3.8%
Average cost $0.2587 per ADA.
Method: Kraken daily closes (UTC) from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026, one buy of $500 at the first close or $500 / 52 at every seventh close, both valued at the last close with no fees. Other amounts: DCA calculator.
What sets Solana and Cardano apart
Solana and Cardano are both proof-of-stake platforms for smart contracts that set out as challengers to Ethereum. Solana puts speed first and has become a busy hub for DeFi and new tokens. Cardano moves more deliberately, building its upgrades on peer-reviewed research, and caps its supply at 45 billion ADA, while Solana has no fixed cap.
Both have been called "Ethereum killers", a label for chains that try to do what Ethereum does with lower fees. Solana has more apps and trading activity, while Cardano's community puts weight on formal methods and slow, reviewed upgrades.
Each coin's full year: Solana trading simulator and Cardano trading simulator.
How to compare Solana and Cardano in Staxo
- Step 1
Find both in the Market tab
Solana and Cardano are both among the 10 coins on Staxo's free plan, so you can trade them with the $500 in demo money you start with, using market orders and up to 10 trades a day.
- Step 2
Buy the same amount of each
Put $100 into each at the same moment: over the last year, the Cardano position moved about 1.2x as much as the Solana one.
- Step 3
Check them side by side
Open your Portfolio once a day and count the days the two positions go opposite ways. Over the last 12 months that happened on 74 of 365 days, often enough to notice within two weeks.
- Step 4
Read the RSI on both charts
The coin screen shows the RSI(14) on the free plan. Over the last year Cardano spent more days below 30 (29 against 24) and Solana more days above 70 (13 against 6), so watch how differently the two stretch. Staxo Pro adds MACD, Bollinger Bands and candlestick charts, plus short selling and leverage at 1x, 2x and 5x.
Solana vs Cardano questions
Which was more volatile, Solana or Cardano?
Cardano, at 76.2% annualized volatility against 65.7% from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. Its worst day was -14.3%, Solana's -15.0%.
Do Solana and Cardano move together?
Mostly. The correlation of their daily returns was 0.83 over the 365 days to Oct 10, 2026 (1 means always together), and 74 days went in opposite directions.
Which did better over the last 12 months, Solana or Cardano?
Solana lost less: -41.8% against -62.0% for Cardano from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. $500 in 52 weekly buys ended at $565.48 in Solana and $480.93 in Cardano. That describes the past year only and says nothing about which will do better next.
More comparisons
Trade Solana and Cardano with $500 in demo money.
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Educational content, not investment advice. The figures describe prices from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026 and say nothing about which coin does better next. Staxo is a simulator: you practice with demo money, never real money.