Blockchain Comparison Tool

Compare Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains side-by-side. Analyze TPS, fees, TVL, finality, and ecosystem size to find the right chain for your needs.

Select chains to compare:
Metric
⟠
Ethereum
ETH
β—Ž
Solana
SOL
πŸ”΅
Arbitrum
ARB
TypeLayer 1Layer 1Layer 2 (Optimistic)
ConsensusProof of StakeProof of History + PoSOptimistic Rollup
TPS~30~4,000~4,000
Finality~12 min~0.4s~1 min (L2)
Avg Gas Fee$1.50 - $8.00$0.00025$0.10 - $0.50
TVL$62.5B$8.2B$14.8B
Market Cap$310B$88B$3.5B
dApps4,500+1,200+600+
EVM Compatibleβœ“ Yesβœ— Noβœ“ Yes
Launched201520202021
Staking APR3.5%6.8%N/A
⟠

Ethereum

The original smart contract platform. Dominates DeFi, NFTs, and institutional adoption.

Strengths
+ Largest ecosystem
+ Most battle-tested
+ Institutional adoption
+ L2 scaling roadmap
Weaknesses
- Higher gas fees
- Slower finality
- Complex UX for beginners
β—Ž

Solana

High-performance L1 known for speed and low fees. Dominates in memecoins and consumer apps.

Strengths
+ Ultra-low fees
+ Sub-second finality
+ Great mobile UX
+ Firedancer validator client
Weaknesses
- Past outages
- Not EVM-compatible
- Centralization concerns
πŸ”΅

Arbitrum

The largest Ethereum L2 by TVL. Home to GMX, Aave, and the Arbitrum DAO.

Strengths
+ Largest L2 TVL
+ Full EVM equivalence
+ Orbit chain framework
+ Strong DeFi ecosystem
Weaknesses
- 7-day withdrawal delay
- Sequencer centralization
- ARB token utility limited

Chain Leaderboard

#1⟠
Ethereum$62.5B
#2πŸ”΅
Arbitrum$14.8B
#3πŸ”·
Base$9.1B
#4β—Ž
Solana$8.2B
#5🟑
BNB Chain$5.4B
#6πŸ’§
Sui$1.8B
#7πŸ”Ί
Avalanche$1.6B
#8🟣
Polygon$1.2B

How to Choose the Right Blockchain

Choosing the right blockchain depends on your use case. For maximum DeFi liquidity and security, Ethereum and its L2s like Arbitrum and Base offer the deepest markets. For high-frequency trading or consumer apps, Solana's sub-second finality and negligible fees make it compelling.

Consider factors like EVM compatibility (if you need to port existing smart contracts), transaction throughput for your application's needs, and the existing ecosystem of protocols and users that can bootstrap your project's growth.