Solana vs Ethereum: 12 months, side by side.
In the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, Solana fell 41.8% and Ethereum 34.7%: Solana lost 7.0 percentage points more than Ethereum. They swung about as hard as each other, and their daily moves lined up very closely (correlation 0.88).
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How much each one swung
Solana and Ethereum were about equally volatile: 65.7% and 62.1% annualized. Solana moved more than 5% in a day 43 times, Ethereum 37 times. Their typical days were close in size: a median move of 1.82% for Solana and 1.60% for Ethereum. Their worst day was the same, Feb 5, 2026: Solana fell 15.0% and Ethereum 14.9%. The day they parted most was a rally for both, Aug 27, 2026, but Solana rose 6.9% and Ethereum only 0.2%.
| Measure | Solana | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Close on Oct 10, 2025 | $188.84 | $3,837 |
| Close on Oct 10, 2026 | $109.99 | $2,504 |
| 1-year change | -41.8% | -34.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 65.7% | 62.1% |
| Median daily move | 1.82% | 1.60% |
| Days with a move over 5% | 43 | 37 |
| Best day | +11.8%, Feb 6, 2026 | +17.5%, Aug 19, 2026 |
| Worst day | -15.0%, Feb 5, 2026 | -14.9%, Feb 5, 2026 |
| Maximum drawdown | -70.2% | -63.1% |
| Lowest close | $62.16, Jun 6, 2026 | $1,565, Jun 25, 2026 |
| Days that closed higher | 173 of 365 | 182 of 365 |
| $500, one buy | $291.23 | $326.29 |
| $500, 52 weekly buys | $565.48 | $538.10 |
How closely Solana and Ethereum moved together
Day to day, Solana and Ethereum moved very closely together: correlation 0.88, and the same direction on 308 of 365 days. Only 57 days went opposite ways. On average Ethereum moved 0.83% for every 1% move in Solana, a smaller reaction than one for one.
Head to head, day by day, it was close to even: Solana had the better day on 172 of the 365 days, Ethereum on 193. $500 in each, bought on Oct 10, 2025 and held, ended at $291.23 in Solana and $326.29 in Ethereum. Ethereum stayed in front for most of the year, and the gap was widest on May 4, 2026, when its holding was worth 1.37 times the Solana one. Ethereum also did better in six of the 11 full months. The sharpest split was July 2026, when Solana went -1.0% and Ethereum +18.5%.
The deepest falls
Solana's maximum drawdown went 7.1 percentage points deeper: 70.2%, from $208.75 on Oct 13, 2025 to $62.16 on Jun 6, 2026. Ethereum's worst run was 63.1%. Solana bottomed first, on Jun 6, 2026. Ethereum kept falling for another 19 days, to Jun 25, 2026. By Oct 10, 2026, Solana was 47.3% below its 12-month high and Ethereum 41.0% below its own.
Next to the other 17 comparisons
- Only Bitcoin and Ethereum moved more closely together than these two.
- Ranked by how far apart the two 1-year results were, it came fourteenth of 18.
- By the difference in volatility between the two coins, it ranked fourteenth 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 49 for Ethereum, came below the starting price. Both weekly tests ended above the $500 put in, Solana at $565.48 and Ethereum at $538.10. Solana's weekly test finished $27.38 ahead of Ethereum'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.
Ethereum, one buy
$326.29
-34.7%
0.13 ETH at $3,837.
Ethereum, 52 weekly buys
$538.10
+7.6%
Average cost $2,327 per ETH.
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 Ethereum apart
Solana and Ethereum compete for the same job: running smart contracts, DeFi apps and tokens, both on proof of stake. Ethereum is older, from 2015, is still the largest network for DeFi, and scales by adding separate layer-2 networks on top of it. Solana, from 2020, keeps everything on one fast chain with low fees.
The two are often compared on fees, speed and how much value sits in their DeFi apps. Solana has had several network outages in its history, while Ethereum's main chain is known for high fees at busy times, which its layer-2 networks are meant to reduce.
Each coin's full year: Solana trading simulator and Ethereum trading simulator.
How to compare Solana and Ethereum in Staxo
- Step 1
Find both in the Market tab
Solana and Ethereum 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. They swung about equally over the last year, so on most days the two positions should move by similar amounts.
- Step 3
Check them side by side
Open your Portfolio once a day and compare the two positions: over the last 12 months they moved the same way on 308 of 365 days.
- Step 4
Read the RSI on both charts
The coin screen shows the RSI(14) on the free plan. Over the last year the two spent about as many days below 30 (24 and 22) and above 70 (13 and 12). Staxo Pro adds MACD, Bollinger Bands and candlestick charts, plus short selling and leverage at 1x, 2x and 5x.
Solana vs Ethereum questions
Which was more volatile, Solana or Ethereum?
Neither by much. From Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026 their annualized volatility was 65.7% for Solana and 62.1% for Ethereum, and their deepest falls were 70.2% and 63.1%.
Do Solana and Ethereum move together?
Very much so. Their daily returns had a correlation of 0.88 over the 365 days to Oct 10, 2026, where 1 means they always move together. Holding both did little to spread risk.
Which did better over the last 12 months, Solana or Ethereum?
Ethereum lost less: -34.7% against -41.8% for Solana from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. $500 in 52 weekly buys ended at $565.48 in Solana and $538.10 in Ethereum. That describes the past year only and says nothing about which will do better next.
More comparisons
Trade Solana and Ethereum 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.