Solana generated more user fees than Ethereum in a September 22 DefiLlama dashboard snapshot, though Ethereum burned a larger dollar amount of fees during the same period. The data illustrates how fee structures and economic models diverge between the two networks.
Over 24 hours, Solana showed approximately $1.1 million in chain fees with $117,138 in reported burns, while Ethereum recorded $649,423 in fees and $226,298 in reported burns. Over 30 days, Solana led with $23.58 million in total fees compared to Ethereum's $12.04 million, but Ethereum's reported burns of $2.80 million slightly exceeded Solana's $2.66 million.
How Fees Are Distributed Differently
The networks handle fee allocation distinctly. Under Solana's rules, half of the base fee of 5,000 lamports per signature is burned, while the other half goes to the block validator. Validators receive all priority fees that users pay for transaction priority.
Ethereum burns execution base fees and blob fees, while priority tips go to validators. This structural difference means that higher total fees on one network do not automatically translate to higher burns or equivalent economic benefits for token holders.
Market Capitalization and Supply Considerations
Ethereum's market capitalization of $335 billion dwarfs Solana's $69 billion as of September 22. Despite nearly comparable 30-day burns, Solana's burn represents a larger fraction of its market cap. However, determining actual returns for holders requires accounting for new token issuance alongside burning, a figure the available data does not provide.
Solana's accepted SGP-0002 proposal calls for increasing annual disinflation from 15% to 30%, pending implementation of related requirements. Ethereum's net supply depends on the balance between issuance and burning, with the actual current issuance rate not specified in available snapshots.
Application Revenue
On September 22, Solana showed $7.7 million in 24-hour app revenue versus $1.9 million on Ethereum, with app fees of $18.2 million and $8.5 million respectively. These metrics are tracked separately from base chain fees.
To determine which network offers better economics for token holders, investors would need matched-period data on total tokens issued and burned, as well as information on how fees are actually distributed after validator commissions.
