Solana vs Lighter

General

Description

Solana Logo
Solana
 (SOL)

Solana is a highly scalable computing platform for executing smart contracts. Thanks to technical innovations like the combination of Proof of Stake and Proof of History, it can handle up to 65,000 transactions per second with extremely low network fees. This has positioned Solana as one of the strongest competitors to Ethereum.

What is Solana?
Lighter Logo
Lighter
 (LIT)

Lighter is a decentralized exchange for perpetual futures and spot markets that operates as an Ethereum Layer 2. Trade execution and liquidations are verified using cryptographic proofs and secured on Ethereum. This allows Lighter to combine fast, low-cost trading with the security and transparency of the Ethereum blockchain.

What is Lighter?

Purpose and goals

Solana Logo
Solana
 (SOL)
  • Smart contract platform
  • High scalability
  • Low fees
Lighter Logo
Lighter
 (LIT)
  • Cryptographically verifiable trading
  • High speed and low costs
  • Open financial infrastructure

Price and market data

Chart

Solana
 (SOL)

$78.41

+1.7%
Lighter
 (LIT)

$2.5744

+12.8%
Market data
SolanaLighter
All-time high
$293.31
Jan 19, 2025
-73.3%
$7.8600
Dec 30, 2025
-67.3%
Crypto all-time highs
Market cap
$45.62B
$642.94M
Market share
1.96%
0.028%
Transaction volume (24h)
$2.08B
+38.2%
$53.51M
Exchange rate

1 SOL = $78.41

1 LIT = $2.5744

SOL converterLIT converter
Prediction for 2026
Powered by AI
$104.58
+34.7%
$3.8689
+50.8%
SOL predictionLIT prediction
Price trend
Negative
(18/30 days)
Positive
(19/30 days)
Momentum
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral
Positive
NegativePositive
Positive
Relative Strength Index
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (53.52)
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (63.71)
News sentiment
Positive
NegativePositive
Positive (94/100)

Last 7 days

Positive
NegativePositive
Positive (92/100)

Last 6 months

SOL newsLIT news
Price performance
++2.2%
++3.3%
Price performance
++1.7%
++12.8%
Price performance
++7.8%
++51.9%
Price performance
--50.9%
Annual return
--37.7%
--4.1%
Annual return
--34.6%
+0.0%
Annual return
++87.3%
SOL returnsLIT returns
Average annual return
++1,723.8%
--2.0%
Max supply
1B
Circulating supply
582.41M
250M
Inflation
8.61%
Year
Year
Crypto inflation

On-chain data

SolanaLighter
Total Value Locked (TVL)
$4.91B
$513.39M
What is Total Value Locked?
Market cap/TVL (ratio)
9.28
1.25
Transactions (24h)
91.36M
Active addresses (24h)
5.74M

Our rating

Our rating
SolanaLighter
Our overall rating
Solana
Lighter
How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

Our individual ratings

Risk
Solana: 7 of 10
Risk (Solana)
Lighter: 3 of 10
Risk (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
riskyless risky
Community
Solana: 8 of 10
Community (Solana)
Lighter: 4 of 10
Community (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
smalllarge
Hype & momentum
Solana: 7 of 10
Hype & momentum (Solana)
Lighter: 6 of 10
Hype & momentum (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
weakstrong
Active usage
Solana: 7 of 10
Active usage (Solana)
Lighter: 4 of 10
Active usage (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
lowhigh
Network effect
Solana: 6 of 10
Network effect (Solana)
Lighter: 3 of 10
Network effect (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
weakstrong
Decentralization
Solana: 5 of 10
Decentralization (Solana)
Lighter: 2 of 10
Decentralization (Lighter)
Solana Logo
Lighter Logo
centralizeddecentralized

Our opinion

Solana Logo
Solana
 (SOL)
Solana has established itself as a significant Ethereum alternative with a strong developer community and successful projects across DeFi, NFTs, and gaming. However, its high scalability and low fees come with trade-offs: critics point to centralization tendencies and past network outages. Following the turbulence from the FTX collapse in 2022, the ecosystem has recovered remarkably well. Network stability has improved significantly - 2024 saw only one major outage. With the upcoming launch of Firedancer and continued growth in DeFi and memecoins, Solana demonstrates it can establish itself as lasting blockchain infrastructure. We view Solana as an exciting but not yet fully mature project with tremendous potential.
What is Solana?
Lighter Logo
Lighter
 (LIT)
Within the perp DEX market, Lighter takes one of the most technically rigorous approaches. Instead of launching its own blockchain with a separate validator set, the project operates as a zk-rollup. Order matching and liquidations are cryptographically proven and verified on Ethereum. This significantly reduces the need to trust the operator: state updates that violate the predefined rules cannot be accepted as a valid rollup state. Combined with zero trading fees for retail traders, this makes Lighter a compelling option for active traders. LIT also has more tangible utility than many early-stage tokens through staking, access to the Lighter Liquidity Pool and protocol-funded buybacks. At the same time, Lighter remains at an early stage. Its sequencer is centralized, decentralization is only planned gradually, and the period around the token launch included significant points and airdrop incentives. We are particularly watching how much organic activity remains after the points-driven launch phase and whether the zero-fee model can prove sustainable. Overall, we view Lighter as one of the most compelling challengers to Hyperliquid: technically convincing, but still needing to demonstrate durable demand.
What is Lighter?

Key data

Key data
SolanaLighter
Sector
Smart Contracts
DEX
Key feature
Performance
ZK-verified order book (CLOB)
Founder
Anatoly Yakovenko, Raj Gokal
Vladimir Novakovski
Developer
Solana Labs, Solana Foundation
Elliot Technologies, Inc.
Published
2017
2022
Institutional investors
  • a16z Crypto
  • Slow Ventures
  • Multicoin Capital
  • Delphi Digital
  • BlockTower Capital
  • Jump Capital
  • etc.
  • Andreessen Horowitz
  • Dragonfly
  • Founders Fund
  • Ribbit Capital
  • Lightspeed
  • Haun Ventures
  • etc.
Social media
4M followers
120,817 followers
Website
solana.com
lighter.xyz
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Whitepaper

Technical details

Technical details
SolanaLighter
Blockchain
Solana Blockchain
Ethereum Blockchain
Consensus mechanism
Proof of History, Proof of Stake
Proof of Stake (Ethereum)
Staking
Yes
Yes
Open source
Yes
Yes
Energy consumption
Low
Low
Transactions per second
65,000 TPS
20,000 TPS
Solana vs Lighter

Solana or Lighter

Market data comparison of SOL versus LIT

The current price of Solana is $78.41 and has increased by 2.2% in the last 24 hours. Lighter is currently trading at $2.5744, with a gain of 3.3% over the same period. Solana has a market cap of $45.62B and ranks 7th. Lighter follows with a market cap of $642.94M, ranking 92nd — 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 Solana or Lighter?

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 Solana and Lighter. What target markets and problems are these two projects aiming to address?

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

Currently, Solana is about -73.3% below it's all-time high of $293.31 reached Jan 19, 2025.
In comparison, Lighter is down approximately -67.3% from it's all-time high of $7.8600 Dec 30, 2025.
Solana currently has a 3,778.0% higher 24h transaction volume of $2.08B compared to Lighter with $53.51M.
Over the past year, Solana achieved a total return of -50.9%, while Lighter 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 Solana and Lighter. 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 Solana or Lighter?

Today, there are many reputable and secure exchanges that make it easy to invest in Solana and Lighter. 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 Solana and Lighter 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 Solana and Lighter?

If you want to store cryptocurrencies like Solana or Lighter 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 Solana, Lighter, and many other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto wallets comparison