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Layer 1

Solana

A single fast chain built for cheap, high volume activity.

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Networks
All networksLayer 1Layer 2Layer 3BitcoinEthereumSolanaBNB ChainXRP LedgerCardanoAvalancheTRONPolkadotCosmos HubNEAR ProtocolAptosSuiTONLitecoinHederaAlgorandMoneroCelestiaInjectiveBaseArbitrum OneOP MainnetPolygon PoSzkSync EraStarknetScrollLineaBlastMantleModeTaikoopBNBRobinhood ChainImmutable zkEVMXaiApeChainDegen ChainSankoB3RARI ChainOrderly NetworkBlock explorersName servicesBridgesSwap guides
By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this5 min readReference
The short answer

A single fast chain built for cheap, high volume activity. Solana bet that one very fast chain beats many slow ones. Fees are fractions of a cent, which changes what kinds of apps make sense.

Live market data

LiveCoinGecko
Price
$117.79
-1.88% 24h
Market cap
$69.24B
24h volume
$3.80B
Rank
#7
All time high
$293.31

Prices as of September 29, 2026, replaced by live figures as the page loads. Prices move constantly and are for orientation only.

What Solana is for

Solana bet that one very fast chain beats many slow ones. Fees are fractions of a cent, which changes what kinds of apps make sense.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 1
Launched2020
ConsensusProof of stake with proof of history
ThroughputThousands
FinalityUnder 13 seconds
Native tokenSOL pays fees, is staked, and pays rent for account storage

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

SolscanSolana Explorer

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

PhantomBackpackJupiter MobileLedger

What to be aware of

  • Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
  • Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Other networks at this layer

Same job, different tradeoffs. Each of these has its own page covering what it is actually for, who runs it and where it struggles.

BNB ChainXRP LedgerCardanoAvalancheTRONPolkadotAll of them

Common questions

Does Solana still go offline?
It had several full outages between 2021 and 2024, which is the criticism most often aimed at it. The client software has been substantially reworked since and a second independent client has been built specifically so a single bug cannot halt the network.
Why are Solana fees so low?
Fees are a fixed cost per signature rather than an auction for scarce block space, and the network processes transactions in parallel where they do not touch the same state. That combination keeps a normal transaction well under a cent.

Where to go next

Compare all networksHow the layers fit together.Block explorer directoryEvery chain, every explorer.Wallets by chainThe right wallet for this network.Mining and stakingHow blocks actually get made and who gets paid.

Compared head to head

The question people actually ask is not "what is this" but "this one or that one". Each of these ends with a pick and the reasoning behind it.

Ethereum vs SolanaSolana vs SuiAll comparisons

New to Solana?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.

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