Cardano (ADA) against Solana (SOL)
Cardano and Solana next to each other: how the prices travelled, what differs under the hood and what each coin is built for.
ADA and SOL: what is under the hood
| Cardano (ADA) | Solana (SOL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.192331 | $95.52 |
| Ticker | ADA | SOL |
| Type | coin of its own network | coin of its own network |
| Launched | 2017 | 2020 |
| Built by | Charles Hoskinson | Anatoly Yakovenko |
| Consensus | Proof of Stake (Ouroboros) | Proof of Stake + Proof of History |
| Block | ~20 sec | — |
| Supply cap | 45 B ADA | no cap |
| Privacy | transfers are public | transfers are public |
| In circulation | 37.58 B ADA | 590.09 M SOL |
| Market cap | $7.23 B | $56.36 B |
| Rank by cap | #18 | #7 |
Source: CoinGecko, Nov 1, 2026 06:24. Where these numbers come from
Who went where: ADA and SOL
Both prices start the period at 100, so the chart shows which one rose or fell harder — not the prices themselves.
| Period | ADA | SOL |
|---|---|---|
| Week | −8.35% | −6.68% |
| Month | −21.67% | −19.39% |
| Quarter | +10.78% | +29.75% |
Over the quarter their daily moves line up at 0.78 (they travel together).
What each one is built for: ADA and SOL
- Smart contracts and appsCardano and Solana
How Cardano and Solana are built
How Cardano works
Cardano uses the Ouroboros consensus protocol, with a block about every 20 seconds, and an extended UTXO model. ADA holders can delegate to stake pools without locking their coins. The maximum supply is 45 billion ADA.
What Cardano is for
ADA pays fees, is staked to secure the network and is used in Cardano-based DeFi and NFT applications.
How Solana works
Solana combines Proof of Stake with Proof of History, a cryptographic clock that helps order transactions. Slots last about 400 milliseconds and transactions are processed in parallel. Tokens on Solana follow the SPL standard.
What Solana is for
SOL pays network fees and is staked to secure the network. Solana hosts decentralized exchanges, payment apps, NFT marketplaces and many popular tokens.
