Solana Activity Flips Ethereum Amid Memecoin Craze

• Solana’s (SOL) network activity exceeded Ethereum’s over the weekend, fueled by the rise of Solana-based memecoins.
• The increased activity and congestion on the Solana network are influencing its trading volume and price, with SOL showing significant gains.

A recent report by CNF highlighted that Solana (SOL), a prominent altcoin in the cryptocurrency market, has witnessed a substantial surge, growing over 30% in the past week. Current data from Solscan indicates significant congestion on the Solana network, characterized by average ping times ranging from 20 to 40 seconds, ping loss of 30-50%, and a high rate of failed transactions (50-80%).

This uptick in network activity, particularly over the past weekend, is primarily due to the burgeoning interest in Solana-based memecoins, leading to performance issues on the network.

Another CNF article emphasized the unexpected popularity of Shiba Budz (BUDZ), which has gained attention alongside other projects such as DogWifhat (WIF) and Bonk (BONK) on the Solana blockchain. Known for its high-speed capabilities, the Solana ecosystem provides an ideal environment for these projects. However, despite Solana’s technical advantages and the community’s excitement around projects like DogWifhat (WIF), it finds its memecoins overshadowed by the rapid ascent of Shiba Budz (BUDZ).

There is a common misconception that Solana’s transaction per second (TPS) rate is 50,000, which is often highlighted in marketing materials. However, in real-world conditions, particularly during periods of network congestion with wait times of 30-50 seconds, Solana’s TPS is observed to be between 1100 and 1200. This performance metric has remained consistent over the last two years during periods of high network activity. As of March 16, Solana’s total trading volume exceeded that of Ethereum, reaching $3.52 billion and outperforming Ethereum’s daily volume by more than $1.1 billion, according to DefiLlama.

Reports from a pseudonymous user “Dagnum” on platform X reveal that on March 16, around 8 pm UTC, Solana experienced ping times of 20 to 40 seconds, leading to approximately 50% of transactions failing for a duration of 20 minutes.

🚨#Solana is currently congested with an Average Ping Time of 20-40s, 30-50% Ping loss, up to 50-80% failed transactions. $SOL

Solana’s TPS isn’t 50k due to vote transactions; it’s just marketing. In reality, under full network conditions with 30-50s wait times, Solana maxes out… pic.twitter.com/NJJfZGDBgo

— Dagnum P.I. (@Dagnum_PI) March 17, 2024

The network has been grappling with congestion for days, attributed to high spam and miner extractable value (MEV) from the memecoin activity, resulting in a significant percentage of transaction failures.

A notable crypto commentator on platform X commented on these developments, stating that all three Solana indicators are in a phase of price discovery, with the potential for a 6x increase in value. This scenario is buoyed by robust yield-generating opportunities.

All 3 #Solana indicators are in price discovery 👀

Nobody knows where this goes next.

6x from here is in play with tremendous yield producing oppertunity.

Dont forget if you hold a native L1 crypto you not only get appreciation from adoption you get defi yield from lending… pic.twitter.com/NxgUHAd11a

— MartyParty (@martypartymusic) March 17, 2024

It’s essential to recognize the potential of holding a native Layer 1 cryptocurrency like Solana. Currently, the DeFi yield from lending, borrowing, liquidity provision, and trading on Solana averages 0.2% per day, offering opportunities with relatively low-risk liquidity in stablecoin pools. This development marks a significant shift in the socioeconomic landscape of the crypto world.

Notably, the price of Solana (SOL) has rallied in response to this increased network activity. As per the latest CoinGecko data, SOL is currently trading at $200, marking a 8.5% rise over the last week and a 43% increase in the past month. In the past week, SOL’s price experienced a significant rise of 43.97%, reaching $202.67, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

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