Ethereum vs Polkadot

General

Description

Ethereum Logo
Ethereum
 (ETH)

Ethereum is the leading platform for decentralized applications and DeFi. At its core is the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which enables so-called smart contracts to run automatically without any central authority. Transactions are validated in a decentralized way by a global network of validators.

Ethereum overview
Polkadot Logo
Polkadot
 (DOT)

Polkadot is an interoperable blockchain network where developers can create their own blockchains (parachains) and leverage the shared security of the Relay Chain. The system enables native communication between different chains and offers flexible blockspace rental for projects of all sizes with Polkadot 2.0.

Polkadot overview

Purpose and goals

Ethereum Logo
Ethereum
 (ETH)
  • Smart contract platform
  • Decentralized finance (DeFi)
  • Decentralized applications
Polkadot Logo
Polkadot
 (DOT)
  • Network of blockchains
  • Interoperability
  • Shared security
  • Scalability

Price and market data

Price chart

Ethereum
 (ETH)

$4,215.50

-1.88%
Polkadot
 (DOT)

$3.83

-2.38%
Market data
EthereumPolkadot
Market cap
$509.46B
$5.83B
Market share
12.90%
0.15%
Current price

$4,215.50

-$102.11-2.42%

$3.83

-$0.062-1.62%
ETH converterDOT converter
All-time high
$4,878.26
Nov 10, 2021-13.48%
$54.98
Nov 04, 2021-93.03%
Crypto all-time highs
Cycle low
$897.01
+370.44%Jun 18, 2022
$3.04
+25.80%Jun 22, 2025
Prediction for 2025
Powered by AI
$7,272.79
+72.18%
$12.12
+215.66%
ETH predictionDOT prediction
Momentum
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral
Relative Strength Index
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (60.51)
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (49.07)
Price trend
Positive
(16/30 days)
Positive
(16/30 days)
Price performance
+59.51%
-13.06%
Price performance
+29.81%
-37.10%
Price performance
+16.50%
-12.76%
Price performance
-1.88%
-2.38%
Price performance
-2.42%
-1.62%
Price performance
-1.70%
-1.49%
Annual return
+28.54%
-41.55%
Annual return
+46.55%
-19.92%
Annual return
+91.29%
+93.67%
ETH returnsDOT returns
Total return
+152,366.64%
2015 – 2025
+33.25%
2020 – 2025
Average annual return
+970.90%
+61.09%
Transaction volume
$39.28B
24h
$323.79M
24h
Max supply
Circulating supply
120.71M
1.52B
Inflation
0.48%
Year
62.88%
Year
Crypto inflation

On-chain data

Market data
EthereumPolkadot
Total Value Locked (TVL)
$89.32B
What is Total Value Locked?
Market cap/TVL (ratio)
5.7
Transactions (avg./day)
1.37M
Active addresses (24h)
645,278

Our rating

Our rating
EthereumPolkadot
Our overall rating
Ethereum
Polkadot
How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

Our individual ratings

Risk
Ethereum: 8 of 10
Risk (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 4 of 10
Risk (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
riskyless risky
Community
Ethereum: 9 of 10
Community (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 6 of 10
Community (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
smalllarge
Hype & momentum
Ethereum: 9 of 10
Hype & momentum (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 5 of 10
Hype & momentum (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
weakstrong
Active usage
Ethereum: 9 of 10
Active usage (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 5 of 10
Active usage (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
lowhigh
Network effect
Ethereum: 8 of 10
Network effect (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 3 of 10
Network effect (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
weakstrong
Decentralization
Ethereum: 8 of 10
Decentralization (Ethereum)
Polkadot: 5 of 10
Decentralization (Polkadot)
Ethereum Logo
Polkadot Logo
centralizeddecentralized

Our opinion

Ethereum Logo
Ethereum
 (ETH)
From our perspective, Ethereum was the key breakthrough that brought programmable blockchains to life. It was the first platform to introduce smart contracts, laying the foundation for decentralized apps (dApps), DeFi, and NFTs. Unlike Bitcoin, we don’t see Ether (ETH) as just a currency but rather as the fuel powering a decentralized world computer. To this day, Ethereum benefits from its first-mover advantage and has built a strong ecosystem of developers, applications, and users. While high transaction fees and scalability remain a challenge, the successful transition to Proof of Stake (The Merge on September 15, 2022) marked a major step forward. In our view, Ethereum remains the leading smart contract platform — which is why, alongside Bitcoin, it represents the second-largest position in our crypto portfolio.
Ethereum overview
Polkadot Logo
Polkadot
 (DOT)
Polkadot takes a technically innovative approach to solving blockchain scalability problems. Instead of running all applications on a single main chain, specialized projects can be deployed on parachains that still benefit from the Relay Chain's security. This enables high-performance applications without compromising on security and stability. With the successful implementation of Polkadot 2.0 and Elastic Scaling in 2025, plus community approval of the JAM protocol, the project demonstrates concrete progress. Over 60 active parachains and the new Agile Coretime system make Polkadot more accessible to developers. However, Polkadot faces stiff competition from Ethereum Layer-2s and other multi-chain solutions. Long-term success hinges on whether the technically elegant design can attract more developers and projects. These recent upgrades leave us cautiously optimistic about Polkadot's future.
Polkadot overview

Details

Info
EthereumPolkadot
Founder
Vitalik Buterin, Gavin Wood
Gavin Wood, Robert Habermeier, Peter Czaban
Developer
Ethereum Foundation, Open Source
Parity Technologies, Chainsafe Systems, Soramitsu
Published
2015
2017
Open source
Yes
Yes
Sector
Smart Contracts
Smart Contracts
Key feature
Network Effects
Interoperability
Blockchain
Ethereum Blockchain
Polkadot Blockchain
Staking
Yes
Yes
Consensus mechanism
Proof of Stake
Nominated Proof of Stake
Energy consumption
Low
Low
Transactions per second
15 TPS
1,000 TPS
Institutional investors
  • a16z Crypto
  • Galaxy Digital
  • Boost VC
  • Pantera Capital
  • Digital Currency Group
  • Paradigm
  • etc.
  • 1Confirmation
  • Boost VC
  • Digital Currency Group
  • Blockchain Capital
  • Coin Fund
  • Arrington XRP Capital
  • etc.
Community
3.79M followers
1.58M followers
Website
ethereum.org
polkadot.network
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Ethereum vs Polkadot

Ethereum or Polkadot

Market data comparison of ETH versus DOT

The current price of Ethereum is $4,215.50 and has decreased by in the last 24 hours. Polkadot is currently trading at $3.83, with a drop of over the same period. Ethereum has a market cap of $509.46B and ranks 2nd. Polkadot follows with a market cap of $5.83B, ranking 33rd — meaning it is valued lower.

We automatically update all market data every 15 minutes, so you always have the latest figures for your comparison.

Should I buy Ethereum or Polkadot?

You should be aware that investing in cryptocurrencies carries risks, and we are neither allowed nor intending to provide investment advice. Still, we'd like to offer some food for thought: consider the opportunities and risks associated with both Ethereum and Polkadot. What target markets and problems are these two projects aiming to address?

If you're still unsure whether to invest in Ethereum or Polkadot, you can take a look at some additional market data to help with your decision:

Currently, Ethereum is about below it's all-time high of $4,878.26 reached on Nov 10, 2021.
In comparison, Polkadot is down approximately from it's all-time high of $54.98 on Nov 04, 2021.
Ethereum currently has a 12,031.41% higher 24h transaction volume of $39.28B compared to Polkadot with $323.79M.
Over the past year, Ethereum achieved a total return of , while Polkadot returned . Keep in mind, however, that past performance rarely guarantees future results.

Additional criteria for comparing cryptocurrencies:

  • What problem does the project aim to solve, and is a decentralized network meaningful and necessary for it?
  • How actively is the network being used?
  • Does the project have a large and active community?
  • How strong is the development activity? (e.g., on GitHub)
  • How decentralized is the underlying blockchain and the project itself?

How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

These are just a few indicators you can use to better evaluate and compare cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Polkadot. Cryptocurrencies and their underlying technologies are often difficult to compare — even for professionals. So don’t stress yourself out, and never let emotions or fear of missing out drive your investment decisions.

Where can I buy Ethereum or Polkadot?

Today, there are many reputable and secure exchanges that make it easy to invest in Ethereum and Polkadot. We're happy to help you choose the right one: simply use our exchange comparison tool to find the platform that best suits your needs. Both Ethereum and Polkadot are well-known and in high demand, which means they're available on most major exchanges.

Crypto exchanges comparison

Which crypto wallet is best for Ethereum and Polkadot?

If you want to store cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Polkadot yourself, choosing the right wallet is essential. Consider your personal preferences when deciding: Is ease of use important to you? Do you prefer maximum security with a hardware wallet (USB device), or is a software wallet sufficient for your needs? Our crypto wallet comparison helps you find the best wallet for Ethereum, Polkadot, and many other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto wallets comparison

How does our comparison work?

Data & Interfaces

Our market data is automatically updated every 15 minutes. This means you can always use the latest data for your comparisons. We obtain the data through web interfaces (API) from CoinGecko, Santiment, DefiLlama, CoinCodex and many more

Research & Deepdive

We regularly sift through a jungle of technical whitepapers, websites, social media and forums for you. In doing so, we filter out essential and relevant information in order to present it to you clearly and comprehensibly in our comparison

Analysis & Valuation

We research and use analysis tools for blockchains and their networks, to form a fact-based foundation for our valuation. Please note that this is not an investment recommendation, but merely our personal opinion.

Community & Feedback

We check our information every 1-2 months to ensure it is up to date and correct. With the help of our community, we can find outdated or incorrect data even faster. Of course, we also welcome your feedback or suggestions for improvement!

Our data on cryptocurrencies was last updated on 2025-08-19T04:05:42.241417+00:00. Sources: CoinGecko, santiment.net, defillama.com, coincodex.com.

The content on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future price developments or as an invitation to act. All visitors are responsible for independently verifying any information before using a listed service. Trading cryptocurrencies involves significant risk and may result in the total loss of your invested capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. We do not assume any liability for the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided, including third-party content. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of these links, we may receive a commission — at no additional cost to you. All actions are taken at your own risk.