Is Sui the Next Solana?

Back in 2021, Solana ($SOL) pulled off one of the wildest runs in crypto history turning a $10 million market cap into a $75 billion giant in just a year. Now, in 2025, there’s a new name stirring up similar hype, Sui ($SUI).

But does it really have what it takes to follow in Solana’s footsteps and even go beyond?

Not All L1s Are Dead This Cycle

Most Layer 1 blockchains have been struggling lately mostly because the hype from previous cycles didn’t quite carry over. But Sui is one of the few exceptions as it’s been quietly and quickly gaining ground.

Built using the Move programming language, Sui is designed for speed and scalability. It processes transactions in parallel, which gives it a big edge. In theory, it can hit 297,000 transactions per second (TPS), when you compare that to Solana’s 50,000 TPS, you start to see why people are taking notice.

Sui Is Betting Big on Gaming

Gaming is where Sui is really planting its flag. The network’s unique architecture allows each in-game item to settle independently, which helps maintain fast and smooth gameplay something traditional chains can’t offer as easily.

Sui is also launching a Steam Deck-style device called SuiPlay0X1, designed to bridge Web2 and Web3 gaming which is not just for Sui-native titles either, you’ll be able to run popular PC and AAA games too.

Major studios are already building on Sui, and if this momentum keeps up, gaming could be Sui’s breakout sector.

Strategic Partnerships Are Rolling In

Sui is also landing some seriously valuable partnerships, including:

• 21Shares-Filed for the first U.S.-listed SUI ETF

• Google Cloud-Working together to make building on Sui feel like Web2

• Franklin Templeton-Bringing institutional tokenization to the ecosystem

• Revolut-Europe’s biggest neobank (40M+ users) chose Sui for Web3 education

• Oracle Red Bull Racing-Yup, Sui branding is now racing in front of 500M+ F1 fans

Still Early, But Growing Fast

Sui isn’t quite on Solana’s level yet:

• Daily active users: 1.5M (vs. Solana’s 4.7M)

• Transactions/day: 6M (vs. Solana’s 100M+)

• TVL: $1.77B (Solana: $7.9B, Ethereum: $52B+)

• DEX Volume: $400M/day (Solana: $3.2B)

• Developers: 150 full-time on Sui vs. 582 on Solana

But the rate of growth is impressive and the direction it’s heading is clear.

While I conclude, I’d like to say that Solana is still the top dog in terms of users, volume, and visibility but Sui’s combination of speed, low costs, and gaming-first strategy is starting to click.

If it keeps up the momentum especially with its Web2 partnerships and gaming hardware, Sui could easily carve out a serious spot in the big leagues.

It’s not another Solana clone. It’s something different. And sometimes, different is exactly what breaks through.

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